Army Staff Sgt. Liam J. Nevins

Died September 21, 2013 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

32, of Denver, Colo., assigned to 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, Watkins, Colo.; died Sept. 21, at Forward Operating Base Shank of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire while conducting range training in Gardez, Paktia Province, Afghanistan. Also killed in the incident were Staff Sgt. Timothy McGill and Spc. Joshua Strickland.

Pentagon IDs 3 Special Forces soldiers killed in Afghanistan attack

Staff report

The Pentagon on Tuesday identified three soldiers killed in an apparent insider attack Sept. 21 at a base in Paktia province, Afghanistan.

According to a Department of Defense press release, the three soldiers died at Forward Operating Base Shank when “enemy forces” attacked their unit with small arms fire while the soldiers were conducting range training in Gardez.

Earlier reports said an Afghan wearing a security forces uniform turned his weapon against U.S. troops on Sept. 21 inside a base of the Afghan army in Gardez.

Killed were:

-- Staff Sgt. Liam J. Nevins, 32, of Denver, Colo., assigned to 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, Watkins, Colo. Nevins received a Purple Heart with Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster (2nd Award) and Army Commendation Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters (3rd Award) among his numerous awards. Nevins is survived by his mother, his father, two sisters, and his fiance.

-- Staff Sgt. Timothy R. McGill, 30, of Ramsey, N.J., assigned to 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group, Middletown, R.I. McGill deployed with the 3rd Marine Division in 2005 and joined the R.I. National Guard in 2008. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. He is survived by his parents and two sisters.

-- Spc. Joshua J. Strickland, 23, of Woodstock, Ga., assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. He is survived by his wife, his son and two daughters.

So-called insider attacks killed 62 personnel in 47 incidents last year compared with 35 killed in 21 attacks a year earlier, according to NATO.

So far in 2013, 11 foreign soldiers have been killed in seven such attacks, including Saturday’s, according to an Associated Press count.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Flags at half-staff in Colo. for fallen soldier

The Associated Press

DENVER — Flags have been ordered to fly at half-staff across Colorado on Oct. 2 in honor of a Denver soldier killed earlier this month in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon says Army Staff Sgt. Liam Nevins of Denver was killed Sept. 21 during combat operations.

Gov. John Hickenlooper ordered flags to fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset.