HELP FREE VETERAN Maj. Matthew Golsteyn, who was with the 3rd Special Forces group at the time of the incident

The U.S. Army has charged a Green Beret for murdering a suspected Taliban bomb maker while deployed in Afghanistan.

Maj. Matthew Golsteyn, who was with the 3rd Special Forces group at the time of the 2010 incident, could face the death penalty, Golsteyn's attorney, Phillip Stackhouse, told the Army Times, the Daily Caller reported.

Stackhouse described his client as a "humble servant-leader who saved countless lives, both American and Afghan, and has been recognized repeatedly for his valorous actions."

The Fayetteville Observer reported the Army revoked Golsteyn's Silver Star in February 2015 pending an investigation in which he was placed on "excess leave."

The Army initially found no evidence of a crime. But the investigation was reopened after Golsteyn admitting in a Fox News interview in 2016 that he killed the man.

Golsteyn explained he was afraid the man would kill a tribal leader who had disclosed his identity to Golsteyn.

Army Times said the man allegedly had built a bomb that killed two Marines. The Army did not respond to the Daily Caller's request for comment.