Soldier From Lansing Dies During Training Exercise

LANSING, IL — United States Army Master Sgt. Nathan Goodman, a 36-year-old who grew up in Lansing and graduated from Thornton Fractional High School South, died during a military training exercise in Arizona on Tuesday, Army officials have confirmed. He died during a "routine military free fall exercise" near Eloy, Arizona, they said.

Goodman's currently listed hometown is in North Carolina, but the Army said in a news release he grew up near Chicago. The Lansing Veterans Memorial Ceremonial Honor Guard Facebook page says Goodman was a native of Lansing and graduated from T.F. South.

During his service career that dates back to 2002, Goodman completed four deployments to Afghanistan, one to Iraq, two to Africa and one to Kyrgyzstan.

"Nathan was a beloved member of 3rd Special Forces Group and an exceptional leader in the Special Operations community," Col. Nathan Prussian, Commander, 3rd SFG (A), said.

His military career includes several awards and decorations, which include the Bronze Star Medal and Meritorious Service Medal.

The incident that led to Goodman's death is currently under investigation.

Goodman is the third serviceman from the suburbs to die in the last two weeks. On Wednesday, the body of Army Specialist Henry Mayfield Jr. was returned to his hometown of Hazel Crest via a massive police escort after he was killed in an attack by an al-Qaeda related group in Kenya.

On Saturday, PFC Miguel Villalon, 21, an Aurora native, was killed in Afghanistan.