Army Pfc. Kyle G. Bohrnsen

Died April 10, 2007 Serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom

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22, of Philipsburg, Mont.; assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.; died April 10 in Baghdad of wounds sustained when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

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Philipsburg soldier remembered as avid hunter, good role model

The Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. — Pvt. 1st Class Kyle Bohrnsen of Philipsburg loved hunting and the outdoors and was a hard worker and great role model, friends and family said April 12.

Bohrnsen, 22, died April 10 from injuries caused by an improvised explosive device that detonated while his battalion was on patrol in Baghdad. Four others were injured.

“From what we know, it seems that he was driving when the IED exploded under his Hummer,” Geoff Bohrnsen, Kyle’s father, said April 12 from the family home in the Rock Creek Valley, west of Philipsburg.

“If you are a religious person, it makes you hope that someone somewhere else needed him,” he said. “That’s the only explanation of why he was taken from us.”

Bohrnsen was assigned to C Company 2-12, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. He repeatedly earned the respect of his crew and superiors, his father said.

“He had what his sergeant called ‘the ability to make a career out of this,’ ” Geoff Bohrnsen said. “Even over there, people looked up to Kyle.”

Kyle Bohrnsen graduated from Granite High School in Philipsburg and joined the military with two close friends a little over a year ago. This was his first tour of duty in Iraq.

Bohrnsen loved snowmobiling and bow-hunting for elk, and enjoyed all the “resources that Montana and Philipsburg had to offer,” Army spokesman Lt. John Bleile said.

He spent his free time working as a hunting guide.

“He cared for and knew the country better than any guide we employed,” said Bob Hogue, owner and operator of Big M outfitters in Philipsburg. “We were skeptical hiring such a young kid, but that thought soon faded. He became part of our family and was an unbelievable role model and friend to our son, Ladd.”

Bohrnsen was the first to arrive at work and the last to leave during hunting season, earning enough trust to handle Hogue’s return clients.

“He always worked hard and never complained about being tired or sick,” said Cary Hogue, Bob’s wife. “Even after a long day, he always made time to play pingpong or PlayStation with Ladd. He was just an amazing young man.”

Kyle Bohrnsen was 6-foot-3 and weighed more than 250 pounds before enlisting, but he used a solid handshake rather than intimidation to get his point across, Granite High School Principal Mike Cutler said.

“Kyle never had trouble with people for one reason,” Cutler said. “They all respected him — and not just because of his size. He was a quiet leader. He led by example.

“I know it’s a clich© and I’m sure everyone you talk to will say it, but Kyle was a great kid,” Cutler said. “Kids looked up to him. It is just unthinkable that he won’t be coming home.”

Carl Sanders, Bohrnsen’s neighbor and close friend, added that Kyle loved his country and thought it was his job to help protect it.

Geoff and Lisa Bohrnsen said they are grateful for the outpouring of support they’ve received. They asked that donations be directed to the Flint Creek Valley Bank in Philipsburg, so they can set up a scholarship fund at Granite High School, Bleile said.

Besides his parents, Kyle Bohrnsen is survived by his grandparents and a sister, Danielle.

Funeral services are tentatively scheduled for April 21 in Philipsburg, Bleile said.

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Funeral services planned for Philipsburg soldier

The Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. — Funeral services for a Philipsburg soldier who died this week in Iraq are tentatively scheduled for April 21, Army spokesman Lt. John Bleile said April 12.

Army Pvt. 1st Class Kyle Bohrnsen, 22, died from injuries caused by an improvised explosive device. The device detonated at about 6:30 p.m. April 10, Baghdad time, Bleile said.

Bohrnsen was assigned to the Charlie Company 2-12 Infantry Division based in Fort Carson, Colo.

He graduated from Granite High School in Philipsburg and joined the military with two friends a little over a year ago. This was his first tour of duty in Iraq.

Bohrnsen loved snowmobiling and bow-hunting for elk, and enjoyed all the “resources that Montana and Philipsburg had to offer,” Bleile said. He also participated in sports.

Bleile said Bohrnsen’s parents would like to thank everyone who has been praying for them and sending donations.

They asked that further donations be directed to the Flint Creek Valley Bank in Philipsburg, so they can set up a scholarship fund at Granite High School.

Bohrnsen’s father, Geoff, believes his son was a hero who died doing what he loved and what he believed in, Bleile said.

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Mourners in Philipsburg remember fallen soldier

The Associated Press

PHILIPSBURG, Mont. — Pvt. 1st Class Kyle Bohrnsen, killed in Iraq nearly two weeks ago, was remembered for his love of life as mourners filled the Granite County High School gymnasium to overflowing.

Friends at the funeral April 22 shared memories of Bohrnsen, 22, killed in Baghdad on April 10 when an explosion rocked the vehicle transporting him.

Photographic slides showed a smiling Bohrnsen doing the things he enjoyed: hunting elk, snowmobiling, riding horses, camping, fishing, playing football, helping his sister put a star on the family Christmas tree and spending time with his friends and parents, Geoff and Lisa.

Bohrnsen, 6 feet 3 inches and 250 pounds, was a hardworking gentle giant who was “first to the breakfast table and the last one at the dinner table,” family friend Bob Hogue said in a eulogy.

Bohrnsen often worked as a hunting guide for Hogue’s Big M outfitters in Philipsburg. Hogue described the young man as a “guide unsurpassed.”

The death was felt in faraway places such as Maryland and New York, where hunting clients remember Bohrnsen, Hogue said.

In e-mails, fellow troops praised the good humor and work ethic of the man they nicknamed “Big Country,” “Mr. Bronze” and “Spitfire.”

Maj. Gen. Randy Mosley of the Montana National Guard stood before the casket and presented Bohrnsen’s parents with the soldier’s final medals. The Good Conduct Medal was awarded for exemplary behavior, the Purple Heart for wounds received in action and the Bronze Star for meritorious service. Mosley also presented Bohrnsen’s mother with the U.S. flag that had draped the casket.

Long rows of flags lined walkways outside Granite County High, and near each was a message written by a Philipsburg elementary school child.

“Just because we can’t see you, you’re still my hero,” wrote one.