An Army Ranger from Leavenworth, who was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, died Saturday in Afghanistan, the U. S. Department of Defense announced Sunday.
Sgt. Leandro A.S. Jasso, 25, was killed as a result of wounds suffered while engaging enemy forces. The incident is under investigation, according to a Department of Defense news release.
Stars and Stripes reports that Jasso was wounded during a firefight with al Qaida forces in Nimruz province. He was later evacuated and died of his injuries at a medical facility in Helmand Province.
Jasso was on his third deployment to Afghanistan. He enlisted in the Army in 2012 and later rose to become an Army Ranger. He was assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at JBLM, according to Stars and Stripes.
“Sgt. Jasso was a humble professional who placed the mission first, lived the Ranger creed and will be deeply missed,” said Lt. Col. Rob McChrystal, commander of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, in a statement.
At the time of his death, Jasso was serving as a team leader, according to the Department of Defense.
Jasso’s death is the 10th this year for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. About 2,400 U.S. military personnel have died in the war with Afghanistan since 2001, according to Stars and Stripes.
