Westminster Community Mourning Loss Of U.S. Airman Killed By Roadside Bomb

WESTMINSTER, Md. (WJZ)—Even in war, some jobs take risk to a whole new level. Dismantling bombs was the job of Airman First Class Matthew Seidler.

Alex DeMetrick reports Seidler, who was from Westminster, was killed by one of those explosive devices in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, safe ground is never a given for U.S. troops, not when a car bomb or roadside bomb can go off anywhere, anytime.

Finding and defusing those bombs was 24-year-old Matthew Seidler's job.

An Airman First Class, he and two others were killed last week by an improvised explosive device, an IED.

"It's really sad news," said Tim Pugh, neighbor. "It's terrible to hear, especially the start of the New Year.  And it brings it home right when it happens across the street from you."

That street is a quiet cul-de-sac in Westminster in Carroll County.

Seidler's family reportedly went to Dover Air Force Base to claim their son's body.

Neighbors flew American flags at the loss of one of their own.

"You read about this in the newspapers every day, and you think, 'Oh, that's really far away,' and you don't think how it's impacting.  For this neighborhood, it's just really deep shock," said David Kelly, neighbor.

"When he found the military, we saw a boy become a man very quickly.  A big change happened and it was really profound to see.  And it's just tragic that we can't see the next stage in his life," said Wayne Parks, friend.

Along with Seidler, the U.S. Air Force reports an airman from Erie, Pa. and an airman from Traverse City, Mich. were also killed by the explosion.