LOCUST VALLEY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – Two men from New York were among the Marines killed in a roadside bombing Monday in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, an FDNY firefighter, and Cpl. Robert Hendricks, a 25-year-old from Locust Valley, lost their lives in the bombing near their military base. Sgt. Benjamin Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania, was also killed. U.S. officials said a convoy of American vehicles was passing a car on the side of the road when the car exploded, killing the service members. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. “Marine Forces Reserve is deeply saddened to confirm the death of three of our Marines who were killed in an attack while deployed to Afghanistan as part of Georgia Deployment Program-Resolute Support Mission. Our focus in the wake of this attack is to support the family, friends and loved ones of our fallen Marines. These Marines are honored for their extraordinary bravery and for their direct contribution to the defense of this nation,” the Marines said in a statement Wednesday. “The circumstances surrounding the attack are still under investigation, with no specific details yet available.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered flags to be flown at half staff in their honor. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of two members of the family of New York, Cpl. Hendriks and FDNY member Staff Sgt. Slutman, while they were serving our country in Afghanistan,” he said in a statement. “Their deaths are a tragic reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of our service members, who put their lives in harm’s way to protect our values and way of life. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I extend my condolences to their friends and loved ones, and I am directing that flags be lowered in their honor.” Web Extra: FDNY Ladder 27 honors fallen firefighter Christopher Slutman: A moving ceremony was held Tuesday outside Ladder Company 27 in the Bronx, where Slutman served as a firefighter before being deployed last spring. “Everything he did, he did top notch with full effort. Like I said, he relocated here to fulfill his dream of being a New York City firefighter and shortly thereafter he enlisted in the Marine Corps,” said Bobby Eustace, of Ladder Co. 27. “He was a great man, good friend, phenomenal firefighter and great American.” Slutman, 43, was a decorated 15-year veteran of the FDNY. In 2014, he was recognized for saving a woman from a Bronx fire. “Came up here to his dream job with the FDNY… defended his country as a Marine and, unfortunately, gave his life in that capacity,” UFA President Gerard Fitzgerald said. “He represents the very best of us, all the bravest of the brave,” FDNY Chief John Sudnick said. “We are forever grateful for his service. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to his family.” PHOTOS: Tribute To Christoper Slutman From Kentland Volunteer Fire Department In Maryland Slutman leaves behind a wife and three young daughters. “He was always positive, he was always doing things for people. So you felt good after you were with him. And if you were having a problem, he could help you,” said his father, Fletcher Slutman. Web Extra: FDNY moment of silence for fallen Marines killed in Afghanistan: Hendricks celebrated his 25th birthday last month and was expected to return home in a few weeks, his mother told CBS2. Now his younger brother, who followed him into service, will escort his remains back to Long Island. “Monday evening, the knock on the door no parent ever should hear came. We are inconsolable and broken into a million pieces, but I am, and always will be, proud to call my sons United States Marines,” his mother said in a statement. Hendricks graduated from Locust Valley High School in 2012. “Our staff members remember his kindness, passion for service, and commitment to friends, family, and our country. Following graduation, he immediately enlisted in the Marines and sacrificed everything for others,” the school said in a statement. “As a school community, we understand that we are all able to be here today, to live our lives, and to have opportunities and experiences each day due to the sacrifices that have been made by Marine Corporal Robert Hendricks and other Americans serving in our armed forces.” Funeral services for the men are pending.<doc-sep>Two of the three U.S. Marines killed in a Taliban attack on Monday in Afghanistan were deployed from a home station in Harrisburg. Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman and Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines were reservists assigned to the 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, in Harrisburg, according to Department of Defense spokesman Maj. Roger Hollenbeck. Hines was a 2006 graduate of Dallastown High School in York County. Slutman is from Newark, Del., and was a New York City firefighter. Slutman’s father lives in York County, the York Daily Record reports. Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, who was also killed in the attack, was a reservist with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment in Garden City, N.Y. Three other U.S. service members were wounded in the attack. “The Marines were part of the Georgia Deployment Program-Resolute Support Mission, a reoccurring, six-month rotation between U.S. Marines and Georgian Armed Forces that contributes to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan,” Hollenbeck said in an email. Previously reported by the AP: Monday’s U.S. fatalities bring to seven the number of U.S. soldiers killed so far this year in Afghanistan, underscoring the difficulties in bringing peace to the war-wrecked country even as Washington has stepped up efforts to find a way to end the 17-year war, America’s longest. There are about 14,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan, supporting embattled Afghan forces as they struggle on two fronts — facing a resurgent Taliban who now hold sway over almost half the country and also the Islamic State affiliate, which has sought to expand its footprint in Afghanistan even as its self-proclaimed "caliphate" has crumbled in Syria and Iraq. Last year, 13 U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan. The Taliban have continued to carry out daily attacks on Afghan security forces despite holding several rounds of peace talks with the United States in recent months. The Taliban have refused to meet with the Afghan government, which they view as a U.S. puppet.<doc-sep>They were killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on Monday. Three U.S. Marines were killed by an improvised explosive device in northern Parwan province in Afghanistan on Monday, according to the U.S. military. On Tuesday evening, the Defense Department identified the three Marines as Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York; Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania; and Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware. They were all from the 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. Three other Americans service members and an Afghan contractor were also wounded in the attack, which occurred near Bagram Air Base. The wounded were evacuated and receiving medical care. Early reports on Monday from U.S. Forces Afghanistan incorrectly identified the contractor as an American who had also been killed, but an updated statement on Tuesday corrected that the contractor was actually an Afghan civilian who was alive and "treated along with other injured civilians." “We feel and mourn the loss of these Americans with their families and loved ones. They volunteered to protect their country. We will continue our mission,” said Gen. Scott Miller, Commanding General of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces Afghanistan. In a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer confirmed that the three dead American service members were Marines. The Kentland Volunteer Fire Department identified one of those Marines Monday as Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman, who served in their department as well as the New York City Fire Department for 19 years. "Through this trying time, we will remember Chris for the father, husband, brother, son, and friend that he was, the moral character he displayed daily, and the courage and conviction to serve his fellow Americans, both at home and abroad," the department wrote in a Facebook post. "We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his firehouse brothers, his fellow Marines, his friends – but most of all, his family," the post read. Prior to Monday's attack, there had been a total of four American troops killed in Afghanistan in 2019: Sgt. Cameron Meddock, Staff Sgt. Joshua Z. Beale, Spc. Joseph P. Collette, and Sgt. 1st Class Will D. Lindsay. There are 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, many of whom train, advise and assist Afghan forces in their fight against the Taliban. In February, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he had not received orders from President Donald Trump to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by half, but U.S. military planners had been tasked with a possible troop reduction after internal discussions began late last year, according to U.S. officials. U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Amb. Zalmay Khalilzad has led direct talks with the Taliban which resulted last month on an agreement "in draft" related to American troop withdrawal and the Taliban's commitment to deny safe haven to terror groups. However, no final decisions have been made.<doc-sep>The U.S. service members killed in an improvised explosive device attack in Afghanistan on Monday were Marines, the Navy secretary said Tuesday, marking the first combat casualties for the service in more than three years. The Marines were killed by an IED attack on their vehicle near Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul. A contractor, an Afghan citizen who was initially reported dead, survived the attack, and three other U.S. troops were hurt in the blast. Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer asked members of Congress to pause in honor of the Marines during a hearing on Capitol Hill. "It is still a very risk-filled world out there," Spencer told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Marines' identities have not yet been released by the Defense Department, pending family notification. One of the Marines was identified as Staff Sgt. Christopher Slutman by the Kentland Volunteer Fire Department in Maryland where he served for 19 years, according to a statement from Fire Chief Oleg Pelekhaty. “Through this trying time, we will remember Chris for the father, husband, brother, son, and friend that he was, the moral character he displayed daily, and the courage and conviction to serve his fellow Americans, both at home and abroad,” the statement reads. “… We ask for your thoughts and prayers for his firehouse brothers, his fellow Marines, his friends -- but most of all, his family.” The deaths mark the first combat casualties for the Marine Corps in more than three years, according to Defense Department casualty reports. In March 2016, Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin was killed in northern Iraq from wounds he suffered when members of the Islamic State group attacked his unit with rocket fire. The Taliban claimed responsibility on Twitter for Monday's attack. The insurgents were traveling with a vehicle-borne IED that hit the U.S. armored vehicle during a security patrol, Fox News reported. Officials did not immediately respond to questions about how many Marines are currently operating in or around Bagram Air Base. As of last summer, some members of I Marine Expeditionary Force were operating in and around Bagram, where they were training Georgian soldiers, who provide base security there. There are about 41,000 Marines forward-deployed in at least 60 countries around the world, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller said Tuesday. "Some in harm's way, as we found out all too well yesterday," he said. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins.<doc-sep>
The Department of Defense identified the three U.S. Marines who were killed in a improvised explosive device attack near Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. They were assigned to 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve: Cpl. Robert A. Hendriks, 25, of Locust Valley, New York Sgt. Benjamin S. Hines, 31, of York, Pennsylvania Staff Sgt. Christopher K.A. Slutman, 43, of Newark, Delaware "Marine Forces Reserve is deeply saddened to confirm the death of three of our Marines who were killed in an attack while deployed to Afghanistan as part of Georgia Deployment Program-Resolute Support Mission,” Maj. Roger Hollenbeck said in a statement. “Our focus in the wake of this attack is to support the family, friends and loved ones of our fallen Marines. These Marines are honored for their extraordinary bravery and for their direct contribution to the defense of this nation.” Maj. Hollenbeck said the attack is still under investigation. “The Marines were part of the Georgia Deployment Program-Resolute Support Mission, a reoccurring, six-month rotation between U.S. Marines and Georgian Armed Forces that contributes to NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan,” he explained. The Marines came from all walks of life and had big impacts in their civilian life. “I am the proudest dad on Earth,” Erik Hendriks, the father of Cpl. Hendriks, told the New York Post. “It is going to sound like a cliche but he was the perfect son. He never caused me one problem.” SSgt. Slutman was a New York City firefighter who was attached to Ladder Company 27 in the South Bronx. “Firefighter Slutman bravely wore two uniforms and committed his life to public service both as a New York City Firefighter and as a member of the United States Marine Corps,” said New York Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro. “The hearts and prayers of the entire Department are with his loved ones and with the families of his fellow service members who lost their lives in service to our nation.” Sultman leaves behind a wife and three daughters, a former Marine in his platoon revealed to Stars & Stripes. Friends of Sgt. Hines said he was always upbeat and was a fun person to be around. “He was all around a great guy with an upbeat attitude who loved the Corps through and through. He never treated you like a subordinate. You were always an equal and friend, Marine veteran and squadmate Sam Belli told Stars & Stripes. Kyle Moyer, a friend and Marine veteran, said Sgt. Hines and SSgt. Slutman were scheduled to come back to the U.S. in a week and a half.