Soldier from Peachtree City killed in Afghanistan
Associated Press

6:46 a.m. Friday, September 18, 2009

The Department of Defense says a 33-year-old soldier from Peachtree City has died in Afghanistan.

Sgt. 1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey was killed along with two other soldiers when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device Tuesday. The Department of Defense says the attack was in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Also killed were 29-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Bradley Bohle of Glen Burnie, Md., and Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Mills, 24, of El Paso, Texas. They were assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Three Fort Bragg Special Forces soldiers killed in Afghanistan
A staff report


Three Special Forces soldiers from Fort Bragg died Wednesday in Afghanistan after enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Helmand province.

A statement by the Department of Defense identified the soldiers as Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Bohle, 29, of Glen Burnie, Md.; Sgt. 1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey, 33, of Peachtree City, Ga.; and Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Mills, 24, of El Paso, Texas.

The three were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

They were conducting a mounted patrol in the Afghan city of Ghur Ghuri in support of combat operations when they were attacked, according to biographical information provided by U.S. Army Special Forces.

Family members declined to comment or could not be reached Thursday night.

Bohle, a Special Forces medical sergeant, was serving his second deployment to Afghanistan. Like McCloskey and Mills, he deployed for this tour of duty in July as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan.

Bohle had also deployed twice to the Philippines.

A Baltimore native, he enlisted in the Army in 1998 as an information systems operator. Three years ago, Bohle decided to pursue the goal of becoming a Special Forces soldier by attending the Special Forces Selection and Assessment.

In March 2008, he earned the coveted Green Beret as a Special Forces medical sergeant.

Bohle's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

McCloskey, a Special Forces intelligence sergeant, was in his third deployment to Afghanistan. Previously, he served a deployment to Colombia.

A native of Hudson, N.Y., McCloskey grew up in Peachtree City, Ga. He enlisted in the Army in January 2002 as a Special Forces candidate, completing the qualification course in May 2004 to earn the Green Beret as a Special Forces engineer sergeant.

McCloskey's awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

Mills was a Special Forces communications sergeant.

A Texas native, Mills enlisted in the Army in 2005 as a Special Forces candidate before earning the Green Beret in March of that year.

The Army Service Ribbon, Global War on Terror Ribbon, NCO Professional Development Ribbon and National Defense Service Ribbon are among his awards and decorations.

Bohle is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; and three daughters, Breanna, Jocelyn and Braelyn of Sanford; and parents, Donald and Linda Bohle of Marydel, Md.

McCloskey is survived by his wife, Jessica; daughter, Katie, and son, Collin, all of Raeford; and parents, Patrick and Kathryn McCloskey of Fayetteville, Ga.

Mills is survived by his wife, Magen, and son, Malaki, of Raeford; and parents, Tommy and Celeste Mills of El Paso, Texas.