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Suicide suspected in death of Navy SEAL, Pottstown native

Cmdr. Job W. Price leaves a wife, daughter. (U.S. Navy)

GALLERY: Cmdr. Job W. Price leaves a wife, daughter. (U.S. Navy )

By Carolyn Davis, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: December 25, 2012

A Navy SEAL commander who was a Pottstown native died Saturday in southern Afghanistan of noncombat-related injuries.

An unidentified U.S. military official told the Associated Press the death of Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, appeared to be suicide. His death is under investigation.

"The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate," said Capt. Robert Smith, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group TWO.

The highly decorated Price was stationed at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va., and was part of "stability operations" in Afghanistan.

He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

A 2011 Pottstown School District newsletter said Price graduated from Pottstown High School in 1989, and from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1993. Deployments included Panama, Kosovo, and the Middle East for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The newsletter said he recently was given command of 300 SEAL Team 4 members.

Price's parents, who live in Pottstown, were surrounded Sunday by family, friends, and neighbors, said a Naval Special Warfare Group representative who answered the parents' phone.

"The family really doesn't want to talk to the press right now," the representative said. "We're really trying to focus on Job's life."

The family, he said, was "doing as well as you could expect."

On Twitter, a soldier wrote, "The world is a safer place because of Cmdr. Job Price. "Rest in Peace my friend."

Contact Carolyn Davis at 610-313-8109, cdavis@phillynews.com, or follow @carolyntweets on Twitter.