A Navy petty officer stationed at Fort Meade was killed in Sunday’s bombing of a Pakistan hotel that some believe was the result of terrorists from Afghanistan.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew J. O’Bryant, 22, of Duluth, Ga., was one of two Americans and 52 others who died when a truck bomb exploded outside of the Islamabad Marriott, U.S. Department of Defense officials said.
O’Bryant, whose family lives in Mississippi and Alabama, was a cryptologic technician with the Navy Information Operations Command at Fort Meade, said spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Doug Gabos.
O’Bryant was temporarily assigned to Islamabad, and as a cryptologic technician, he is trained to help maintain electronics and computer systems. He was there for less than two months, Gabos said.
O’Bryant had only been in the Navy for 18 months. His wife is living with family in Mississippi and declined The Examiner’s request to speak with her Tuesday, Gabos said.
The bombing also claimed the life of a Czech Republic diplomat.
While no group claimed responsibility, officials and experts said the scale of the blast and its high-profile target were the hallmarks of media-savvy al Qaeda.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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