Fort Bragg soldier from Chicago area killed during free fall training exercise in Arizona

ELOY, Ariz. (WLS) -- For the third time in less than two weeks, a soldier from the Chicago area has died.

U.S. Army officials confirmed that Fort Bragg Master Sgt. Nathan Goodman, 36, was killed Tuesday during a free fall training exercise in southern Arizona. Free falling is when parachutists jump from an aircraft and delay opening their parachutes.

The death of Goodman, who grew up in south suburban Lansing, comes days after a soldier from Aurora was killed by a roadside bomb while deployed in Afghanistan.

Private First Class Miguel Villalon, 21, was one of two soldiers killed Saturday in Kandahar Province.

RELATED: Body of Miguel Villalon, soldier from Aurora killed in Afghanistan, returns to US soil

Army Specialist and Hazel Crest native Henry Mayfield, Jr. was killed earlier this month in a terrorist attack in Kenya. Mayfield was one of three Americans killed when Al-Shabab extremists attacked the base.

Mayfield's body returned home on Wednesday.

RELATED: Body of Hazel Crest native, army specialist Henry Mayfield returns home

According to military officials, Goodman was recently promoted to Master Sgt. in July 2019 and became an Operations "Team" Sergeant for a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha. Goodman was in the 3rd Special Forces Group's 2nd Battalion.

"Nathan was a beloved member of 3rd Special Forces Group and an exceptional leader in the Special Operations community," said Col. Nathan Prussian, Commander, 3rd SFG (A) in a statement.

He enlisted into the Army in 2002, and completed four deployments to Afghanistan, one to Iraq, two to Africa and one to Kyrgyzstan.

"We are aware of an incident resulting in the death of a U.S. Army Special Operations Command Soldier during a routine military freefall training event," command spokesman Lt. Col. Loren Bymer said in a statement.

WTVD-TV contributed to this report.