Master Sergeant Nathan Lee “Nate” Goodman was born on May 10, 1983, in Pasadena, California, and grew up near Chicago in Lansing, Illinois. He graduated from Thornton Fractional South High School in 2002 and joined the Army that July, part of the generation that answered the call after the September 11 attacks.
Nate completed basic training, Advanced Individual Training and Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and reported to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, with which he deployed to Afghanistan in 2004. In 2005 he joined the Army National Guard and began training to become a Green Beret. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2007 and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), with which he deployed again to Afghanistan and to Africa.
In 2010 Nate returned to active duty with the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He deployed with the group to Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Africa. In 2016 he became a senior instructor and later a chief instructor with the 1st Special Warfare Training Group, shaping the next generation of Green Berets. In July 2018 he rejoined Company A, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group as operations sergeant for Operational Detachment Alpha 3214, and he was promoted to master sergeant one year later. Over nearly two decades he deployed eight times: four times to Afghanistan, once to Iraq, twice to Africa and once to Kyrgyzstan. A master-rated military free-fall parachutist, he completed the basic, jumpmaster and advanced tactical infiltration free-fall courses along with the Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance, Target Analysis and Exploitation Techniques Course, the Advanced Urban Combat Course and Advanced Special Operations Techniques.
Nate’s decorations include three Bronze Star Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Valorous Unit Award, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with four campaign stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Master Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge.
On January 14, 2020, Nate died during a military free-fall training event near Eloy, Arizona. He was 36 years old. “Nathan was a beloved member of 3rd Special Forces Group and an exceptional leader in the special operations community,” said Colonel Nathan Prussian, the group’s commander.
Nate married Kelly Allard on December 4, 2007. Their daughter, Lilliana, was born in 2009 and their son, Ethan, in 2011, and he was an extraordinary role model for them. He was known for his sense of humor, loyalty, reliability, honesty and candor and for his desire to help. He would do anything to make someone laugh, told exciting stories, always offered a hand and made lifelong friends with ease. He loved his family, adventure, his country, skydiving, camping and teaching his children countless lessons about life. “He lived more life in his 36 years than most do in 100,” his family wrote. “The way he died is the way he lived: ‘If you’re not living life on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.’”
Nate is survived by his wife, Kelly; his daughter, Lilliana; his son, Ethan; his parents, Donna and Larry; his brothers, Dale and Bret Betourney, Aaron and Jason Vis and Adam Goodman; and his sister, Davena Goodman.
Nate deployed eight times — four to Afghanistan, once to Iraq, twice to Africa and once to Kyrgyzstan. If you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much room.
3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Sources
- U.S. Army: Special Forces Soldier dies in training accident
- Army Times: Green Beret who died during freefall training was 3rd Group team sergeant (Jan. 15, 2020)
- LaFayette Funeral Home: Obituary of MSG Nathan Lee Goodman
- ABC7 Chicago: Master Sgt. Nathan Goodman of Lansing killed during free fall training exercise
- Family-provided records on file with MVF: Nathan Goodman bio
