Friends and family are mourning the death of an American hero.
Staff Sergeant Patrick Quinn, 26, was killed on Sunday in Afghanistan. Quinn, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colo., died in the Paktika Province, according to U.S. Army officials.
Officials said the Green Beret died of injuries sustained after "the enemy attacked his base with small arms fire."
Quinn was born in Delaware and grew up in Quarryville, Pa. He enlisted as an infantry man with the U.S. Army in July of 2006 and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment at Fort Wainwright, Alaska after completing his initial training.
Quinn continued his service with 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas and then completed a deployment to Iraq from September 2008 to August 2009.
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Quinn volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection after his assignment at Fort Bliss. He then graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2013.
Officials say his first assignment as a Green Beret was as an engineer sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo. where he served on a Special Forces team. He was killed in action while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to officials.
Quinn won several awards throughout his military career. They include the following:
- Four Army Commendation Medals
- The Army Achievement Medal
- Meritorious Unit Commendation
- Two Army Good Conduct Medals
- The National Defense Service Medal
- The Iraq Campaign Medal (with 2 Campaign Stars)
- The Global War on Terror Service Medal
- Two Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, the Army Service Ribbon
- Two Overseas Service Ribbons
- Special Forces Tab
- Parachutist Badge
- The Combat Infantryman's Badge
Quinn was also awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the NATO Medal posthumously.
Quinn is survived by a wife and three sons.
