A Fort Richardson soldier has died in a bomb blast in Afghanistan as the death toll of Alaska-based troops killed in action this year has continued to rise, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.

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Staff Sgt. Michael C. Murphrey

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Staff Sgt. Michael C. Murphrey, 25, of Snyder, Texas, died Sunday in Paktika province after his unit was attacked by an improvised explosive device, the Defense Department said. He had gotten out of his vehicle to conduct a foot patrol and stepped on the explosive, according to the Army.

He was a paratrooper assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division at Fort Richardson. His unit is stationed at Forward Operating Base Sharana.

Murphrey joined the Army in October 2003, served at Fort Bragg, N.C., and came to Fort Richardson in April 2008. His family has been notified of his death.

As of Sunday, 19 Alaska-based soldiers have died this year, according to the Army. Thirteen of them were killed in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Eleven soldiers from the 4 th Brigade Combat Team have died in Afghanistan since the unit deployed in February for one year. At least five of them have died since mid-August.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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