Florida soldier, a father of 4, among those killed in Syria suicide bombing

WASHINGTON (FOX 13) - The Pentagon has identified three of the four Americans killed in a suicide bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State group in Syria this week.

They are Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan R. Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida, who was based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon M. Kent, 35, from upstate New York and based at Fort Meade, Maryland; and a civilian, Scott A. Wirtz, from St. Louis, Missouri.

The Department of Defense released the following statement about Farmer:

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida died of wounds sustained during an attack while conducting a local engagement in Manbij, Syria, January 16, 2019.

Born April 27, 1981, Farmer joined the U.S. Army on March 30, 2005. He attended One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia in 2005 followed by the Special Forces Qualification Course. He graduated in 2007 as a Special Forces Engineer Sergeant and was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), where he remained throughout his career.

Farmer was selected to attend the Special Forces Warrant Officer Candidate School, where he earned his commission in 2016. Following graduation, he was selected to serve as an Assistant Detachment Commander.

Farmer served on six overseas combat tours. Twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in October 2007 and January 2009; once in support of Operation New Dawn in August 2010; once in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from January 2012; and twice in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in January 2018 and January 2019 until his passing.

Farmer's military education includes One Station Unit Training, the Basic Airborne Course, Survival Evasion Resistance Escape Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, the Advanced Special Operations Technical Course, the Advanced Leader's Course, Special Forces Warrant Officer Candidate School, the Special Forces Warrant Officer Basic Course, and the Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course.

Farmer's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with "C" Device, Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon with one campaign star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO medal, Special Forces Tab, Parachutist Badge, and Combat Infantryman's Badge.

Farmer is survived by his spouse, four children, and his parents.

The Pentagon hasn't identified the fourth casualty, a civilian.

The four were killed in the northern Syrian town of Manbij on Wednesday. The attack, which also wounded three U.S. troops, was the deadliest assault on U.S. troops in Syria since American forces went into the country in 2015.

FOX 13 reported this story from Tampa. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.