Washington (CNN) A US Green Beret was killed in action in Afghanistan on Monday, the 17th American to be killed in combat there this year.

Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy W. Griffin, 40, from Greenbrier, Tennessee, was killed in a small arms firefight in Wardak Province, the Pentagon announced.

Griffin, who was born in Cristobal, Panama, and joined the Army in 2004, was on his fourth combat deployment when he was killed.

"The loss of Sgt. 1st Class Griffin is felt across the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) Family and the entire Special Forces community," Col. Owen G. Ray, commander of the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), said in a statement. "He was a warrior - an accomplished, respected and loved Special Forces Soldier that will never be forgotten. We ask that you keep his Family and teammates in your thoughts and prayers."

According to the statement from US Army Special Operations Command, Griffin was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star medal and Purple Heart.

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