Minnesota Air Force Officer Killed in Afghanistan

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A 36-year-old from suburban Minneapolis is one of six American troops who were killed in a suicide attack near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.

The U.S. Department of Defense on Tuesday released the identities of the troops killed in the attack. Among them was Maj. Adrianna M. Vorderbruggen of Plymouth.

Vorderbruggen was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 9th Field Investigations Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Her father, Joseph Vorderbruggen, tells The Associated Press his daughter “loved life” and “loved the military.” He says, “Whatever goal she had, she found a way.”

Vorderbruggen was one of the first openly gay service members to marry after “don’t ask, don’t tell” was ended in 2011. The group Military Partners and Families Coalition confirmed her death on its Facebook page.

“Major Vorderbruggen leaves behind her wife, Heather, and son, Jacob,” the group said. “We do find comfort in knowing that Heather and Jacob are no longer in the shadows and will be extended the rights and protections due any American military family as they move through this incredibly difficult period in their lives.”

Officials said the soldiers were targeted as they moved through a village near Bagram Airfield, the largest U.S. military facility in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility.