The body of Falmouth native Kyle Milliken, the Navy SEAL killed in Somalia last week, has been returned to the United States, a Navy spokesman said Monday.
In an email statement, Capt. Jason P. Salata of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command did not provide further details, including when or where the airplane carrying Milliken’s body landed.
“No information on future arrangements,” Salata said, referring to funeral plans. “Very likely to be private events and not open to the public.”
Milliken, 38, was killed Friday in a predawn operation against the terrorist group al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaida. He died while supporting Somali National Army soldiers in a remote area about 40 miles west of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, according to the Department of Defense.
The Pentagon has not provided any details about how Milliken died, but it has confirmed that two other Navy SEALS were wounded in the operation. The Pentagon said that special operations troops came under fire after their aircraft delivered Somali forces to the target area.
Milliken became the first American service member killed in action in Somalia since the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, in which 18 U.S. servicemen were killed, including two from Maine. The battle was recounted in the book and film “Black Hawk Down.”
Milliken grew up in Falmouth and graduated in 1998 from Cheverus High School in Portland.
On Sunday, Falmouth police Sgt. Frank Soule III wrote a lengthy tribute to Milliken on the department’s Facebook page after conferring with the Milliken family. Soule said in the Facebook post that Milliken would be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Milliken joined the Navy in 2002 and was living in Virginia Beach, Virginia, at the time of his death. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
Milliken was a senior chief special warfare operator in the Navy SEALs, and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District said that for many years he served with the elite SEAL Team 6. He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he earned four Bronze Stars.
Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:
dhoey@pressherald.com
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