A fallen Green Beret’s colleagues recalled a patriotic man and exemplary soldier while friends quickly raised more than $100,000 to help the man’s family.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Goble, 33, died Monday from injuries sustained in combat in Afghanistan. He was killed while on his third deployment there, a few weeks before he was expected to return home to his longtime partner, Jennifer Albuquerque, and their young daughter, Zoey.
The New Jersey native stood out for his devotion to his troops, said a civil servant who saw Goble at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base just before he deployed.
“He was in the back of the line, making sure his soldiers stayed accounted for,” the civil servant, an Air Force veteran, told the Washington Examiner. “He was quiet but had a presence and stature about him that one could tell he was in charge.”
Goble shared camaraderie with his troops, the civil servant said. “As I walked back through a short time later, he was smiling and joking with a few of his fellow Green Berets. One could tell he was respected and well-liked among his peers and subordinates.”
He was also respected by his superiors.
“Sgt. 1st Class Goble was more than just a member of the 7th Special Forces Group. He was a brother to us and a beloved family member to the Northwest Florida community,” said Col. John W. Sannes, 7th Special Forces Group commander in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “We will honor our brother’s sacrifice and provide the best possible care to his family. We ask that you keep his family and teammates in your thoughts and prayers.”
On Monday, family friend Lisa Barker created a GoFundMe page to raise money for Albuquerque and Zoey. By Friday morning, some 1,800 people had contributed to the GoFundMe page, raising more than $100,000 toward a $200,000 goal. Jimmy John Liautaud, of Jimmy John’s sandwich fame, topped the list with a $10,000 donation. The company did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. More than a dozen others gave $1,000 or more.
Albuquerque posted a video of Goble’s casket being transferred at Dover Air Force Base on Christmas Day, writing, “You’re home now.”
She and other members of Goble’s family did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment. Beth Koyas, the girlfriend of Goble’s uncle, told the Washington Examiner that the family is not speaking about Goble’s death because “it’s just too difficult right now.”
Goble joined the Army as a Special Forces candidate in 2004, earning his coveted Green Beret in 2007, according to the U.S. Army. In his time with the 7th Special Forces Group, Goble deployed to locations including South Korea, Argentina, Guatemala, and Colombia. He served in a variety of roles, including as a sniper instructor and as a senior intelligence sergeant. His decorations include the three Bronze Stars, the Army Commendation Award with “v” device for combat, and several campaign medals and citations.
“The fact that this community of family and friends has raised over $15,000 in less than a day, is a true testament of the kind of man we all knew Mike to be. This is truly incredible,” Barker wrote in a post update on Tuesday.
Goble had hoped to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, a family member said.
