The Pentagon identified the U.S. Navy SEAL who was killed in the rescue of an American doctor in Afghanistan as a highly-decorated 10-year veteran from Pennsylvania.
28-year-old Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque, of Monroeville, Pa., died Sunday of combat-related injuries sustained while supporting operations in Afghanistan. Though the release only said Checque was assigned to "an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit," ABC News previously reported the fallen servicemember was a part of the Navy's elite SEAL Team 6.
Checque enlisted in October 2002, the year he graduated from high school, and entered the Navy’s Special Warfare training in April 2003. He joined an East Coast-based Special Warfare unit the next year, according to Naval Special Warfare Command. Checque talked about becoming a SEAL as far back as seventh grade, said Anthony Troisi, a classmate and wrestling teammate. As a high school junior, Checque underwent LASIK eye surgery so he could qualify for the SEALs, Troisi said. After grueling, 2½-hour wrestling practices and conditioning sessions, Checque would go to the swimming pool and swim laps for an hour. “It wasn’t to keep in shape; it was because he wanted to be a Navy SEAL,” said Troisi, 28, of Irwin. Checque inspired Troisi to joined the Navy in 2002, he said, sparking a 10-year career as a crew chief on a C-9 Skytrain cargo jet. “I trusted him. He was a leader.” Checque served in the Iraq War and in Afghanistan operations. His decorations included the Bronze Star, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal, among others.
Checque sustained his mortal injuries while on a nighttime mission Saturday to free Dr. Dilip Joseph, an American doctor with the Colorado-based medical nonprofit Morning Star Development, on Wednesday as he and two Afghan members of Morning Star’s staff were returning from a visit to a rural clinic. The kidnappers took them to a mountainous area about 50 miles from the Pakistan border, according to Morning Star’s website. The captors released the two Afghans on Saturday. Checque’s SEAL team deployed to rescue Dr. Joseph after intelligence showed he was in imminent danger of injury or possible death, the military said.
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| Dr. Dilip Joseph (Photo: KUSA) |
“Our relief in the safe rescue of Mr. Joseph is now tempered by our deep grief over the loss of this true hero,” said a statement from Morning Star executive director Lars Peterson. “We offer our deepest condolences to his family and to his fellow team members. We want them to know that we will always be grateful for this sacrifice and that we will honor that sacrifice in any way we can.”
Dr. Joseph's family released a statement thanking the U.S. government and military for the operation and offering their condolences to Checque's family. "We could not be more grateful for that soldier's heroism and for the bravery of all involved in the mission to bring Dilip home."
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[A] particular centurion had a slave who was who was at the point of death. He cared for his slave and had probably sought every means that conventional medicine had to offer to save the slave's life. None of this had worked. So this centurion convinced some of the Jewish elders to find Jesus and enlist his help in restoring the slave to health .... Jesus left what He was doing and began walking with the elders to the centurion's house. Before could reach the house, the centurion sent friends out to intercept Jesus and tell Him that the centurion wasn't worthy to have Jesus come under his roof .... The centurion told his friends to tell Jesus to just say the word. That's all. Just say the word, and the centurion's servant would be healed .... When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at the faith of this military man. "I tell you, I have not found so great a faith even in Israel." Jesus had known many people over the course of His life. He had known godly people like his mother and Joseph. But of all these people in the land which God had abundantly revealed Himself, He had not found one who had so great a faith as this Gentle, this Roman, this military man.
The Soldier's Bible by Holman Christian Standard Bible.
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