Ohio native, ex-Navy Seal killed in Afghan bombing

By STEPHEN MAJORS, Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Navy Seal and an Ohio native whose wife is expecting the couple's first child were among seven people killed in a suicide bombing attack targeting a CIA base in southeastern Afghanistan last week.

Scott Michael Roberson, 39, was working as a security officer for the CIA when the blast on Dec. 30 rocked the remote outpost in Khost province, said his sister, Amy Messner of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

The government notified his wife Wednesday of his death, Messner said, and the CIA has allowed them to make his death public.

Before joining the CIA, Roberson had worked undercover in narcotics for the Atlanta police. He also served with United Nations security forces in Kosovo and did several tours of duty in Iraq, where he provided protection to high-risk officials.

"He always said that if something happened to him, he would have no regrets," his sister said. "He was so proud of what he was doing."

Roberson had hoped to return to the U.S. for the birth of his first child in February, his sister said. "As hard as all of this is, at least we are able to let the world know what an amazing person Scott was," Messner said. "I can't imagine how hard it would be for those families to not be able to share that."

Roberson is survived by his wife, Molly, of Knoxville, Tenn.; his parents and sister. A memorial service is planned for Saturday in Akron, Ohio.

Jeremy Jason Wise, 35, was also killed in the attack, a memorial page on Facebook said.

Wise, a former Navy Seal, lived in Virginia Beach, Va., with his wife, Dana. He was working as security contractor after leaving the Navy in 2009. A funeral for Wise is expected to be held in the coming days.

Wise's home phone number was not listed. The family declined through an e-mail to release any photos to The Associated Press or to comment further Sunday.

A third man has also been identified as one of the dead, his parents said. Harold E. Brown Jr., 37, of Virginia, served in the Army. His mother said Saturday he worked for the State Department. He is survived by a wife and three children, ages 12, 10 and 2.

The CIA is not releasing information about the victims, citing the sensitivity of their mission and other ongoing operations. The agency is trying to sort out what happened.

Many questions remain as to how the suicide bomber managed to get inside the outpost armed with explosives and why he was exposed to so many agency officers, including the chief of the CIA base who died in the attack, a woman with three children.

Six other agency personnel were wounded in what was considered the most lethal attack for the CIA since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001 and possibly even since the 1983 embassy bombing in Beirut.

The bombing occurred at a former military base on the edge of Khost city, the capital of Khost province, which borders Pakistan and is a Taliban stronghold.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility.