US Navy SEAL Commander Found Dead In Afghanistan In Apparent Suicide

The U.S. military officials have launched an investigation into the apparent suicide of a Navy SEAL commander in Afghanistan, the Defense Department said Sunday.

Navy SEAL Cdr. Job W. Price, 42, of Pottstown, Penn., died Saturday of a non-combat related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, the Pentagon said in a statement. Price was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit in Virginia Beach, Virginia and was the commanding officer of SEAL Team Four.

“This incident is currently under investigation,” the statement said.

An official who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity said the commander’s family had been notified of the death, adding that there was no indication that Price was involved in any military-related investigation of controversies.

Price was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound in his quarters, by fellow military personnel who went to look for him after he failed to show up for an event Saturday.

“The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate,” Capt. Robert Smith, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group Two, which manages all Virginia-based Navy SEAL teams, told the Associated Press. “We extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and NSW community during this time of grieving.”

“As we mourn the loss and honor the memory of our fallen teammate, those he served with will continue to carry out the mission,” Smith said Sunday.

Price was married and had a daughter. He had been a naval officer since May 1993, Lieutenant David Lloyd, a spokesman for Naval Special Warfare Group Two told Reuters.