View Full Version : Sergeant First Class Shawn P. McCloskey
Team Sergeant
09-17-2009, 17:22
Sgt.1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey, 33, died on Sept. 16, after his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device Sept. 15, while conducting a mounted patrol in the Afghan city of Ghur Ghuri, in support of combat operations while serving with, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in July 2009 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan. This was his third deployment to Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terror. He also served on to deployments to Colombia. He was a Special Forces intelligence sergeant.
McCloskey a native of Hudson, New York, grew up in Peachtree City, Ga., enlisted into the U.S. Army January 2002 as a Special Forces candidate. He completed the Special Forces Qualification Course May 2004 and earned the coveted “Green Beret” as a Special Forces engineer sergeant. He was assigned to Co. B, 3rd Bn., 7th SFG (A).
McCloskey’s military education includes the Warrior Leader’s Course, Basic NCO Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Basic Airborne Course, Jumpmaster Course, Combat Diver Course, Special Operations Diving Supervisor Course, Air Movement Operations Course, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course and Special Forces Qualification Course.
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, non-commissioned officer professional development ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Special Operations Diver Supervisor Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
McCloskey is survived by his wife Jessica, daughter Katie and son Collin of Raeford, N.C. and parents Patrick and Kathryn McCloskey of Fayetteville, Ga.
- DE OPPRESSO LIBER –
SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 1850
http://news.soc.mil/Memorial%20Wall/Bios/SFC%20McCloskey%20bio.pdf
Tatonka316
09-17-2009, 17:39
Rest in Peace, Warrior. You will always be missed and NEVER forgotten.
molon labe
Rest in Peace
You have served your country and will be missed...
Basenshukai
09-17-2009, 19:23
I am in shock. I served with Shawn in B/3/7 when he was assigned to SFODA 785 (on the old numbering system) and I was the 783 Team Leader and, later, the company XO. In 2006, we both deployed together to Afghanistan and I vividly remember how devastated he was when we lost SFC Chad Gonsalves - a good friend of all of us.
Shawn was a professional in every respect of the word. I don't know what else to write. RIP, Shawn ... you will be missed, brother.
Rest in Peace SFC McCloskey, may God bless your family.
1stindoor
09-17-2009, 20:45
I loved him like a brother. Truly one of the finest 18Cs I've ever known. It was my honor and privilege to have served with him on 85. I was with him in 2006 as well when Chad was taken from us.
Justinmd
09-17-2009, 20:52
Shawn and I went through basic and the Q together. He was a great guy. He was funny and laid back. I remember at selection we had to square off on an exercise to hold your rifle straight out, first one to lower the rifle or bend the elbows lost. He beat me. I remember thinking, how can this old guy (compared to me) beat me. The world has lost a great person. RIP Shawn
RIP SFC McCloskey, Vaya con Dios..
Red Flag 1
09-18-2009, 08:28
Rest In Peace SFC McCloskey!
Thank you for your service and sacrifice!
greenberetTFS
09-18-2009, 12:02
Gone,but not forgotten.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn_iz...eature=related
God Bless,Rest in Peace Warrior.....:(
He was just a simple soldier and his ranks are growing thin
But his presence should remind us; we may need his like again,
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.......:(
Perhaps just a simple headline in the paper that might say:
OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, FOR A SOLDIER DIED TODAY. (author unknown)
The passing of our soldiers often go unnoticed and unsung by most of the world, remembered only by family and friends. Wish it were not so. May he RIP, his family will be in my thoughts and prayers.........:(
I realize it's a Canadian song,however I believe most appropriate for this occasion..:(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrkgV5bl7kQ
Big Teddy
SFC McCloskey was my student down in Key West. Do any of his teammates remember when he came back without a bubble and a bum hip? I dare someone to ask about this story.
...........witt sends
Aequitas
09-19-2009, 03:12
Brother you are missed and my prayers go out to you and the family! I still remember talking to you before we left...I will always remember the day that you and 85 gave me my welcoming into the company! Blue Skies my friend...
Rest in Peace SFC McCloskey, may God bless your family.
Blue Skies and soft landings Brother
Surgicalcric
09-19-2009, 05:49
Rest in Peace Brother.
You will be missed.
Crip
When SFC McCloskey came down to go through the Combat Diver Qualification Course he had a pretty decent initial performance level comapared to his peers in the class. At some point (and I can't remember what event caused it) Shawn became one of the many that end up getting hurt while going through the training. Somehow, he had hurt his hip and we (the Instructors) could see both a change in his performance and a noticeable limp coming from "Mr. McCloskey". As each day went by, we could see his injury get worse and worse and you could see the level of pain that he was enduring above and beyond what pain you are normally feeling during CDQC training. When he was in the water, his performance level was well within the standards that we had set for each training event. It was his performance during the out of the water events that became a problem. What stood out to all of us was "Mr. McCloskey's" unbelievable positive attitude, personal motivation, and intestinal fortitude which definately motivated and inspired the entire SFUWO Committee. It got to the point where we would have instructor meetings after every event to discuss "Mr. McCloskey's" performance and also his level of injury. We wanted to let this guy continue (there was no way he was ever going to quit!) but we were very worried that he was going to cause some permanent damage to himself and ruin his body. Shawn was at the point where he could barely walk when we pulled him out kicking and screaming. He was literally dragging his leg behind him just to get around. When we (Doc Rob Price) finally dropped him for medical reasons, Shawn was upset but totally understood our reasoning for pulling him out. The class had just started introduction to the DRAEGER LAR V UBA. SFC McCloskey was told that he was to go home and heal up and then come back to finish the course. He was the first CDQC student to qualify for a new change in policy where we had decided that if a student was dropped for admin or medical reasons, the SFUWO Commander could give the student a letter inviting him to come back and pick up with the phase that he left off at. This meant that Shawn did not have to go back through the pool training and could come back and join a class starting with open circuit training. When he came back, Shawn was still sporting a slight limp. He came back and displayed the same personal motivation and intestinal fortitude that inspired us all before. We were all very proud to punch that bubble into his chest on graduation day. Later, he came back and became a Dive Supervisor.
I saw him just a couple of months ago at Womack when we were both waiting at the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions and had the chance to hang out and talk with him for about 30 minutes. He still had a slight limp.
Shawn was the best kind of Green Beret, the real deal and a great person as well. I just wanted all of you out there to know how he inspired and emotionally moved the entire SFUWO Committee at one point because of his unbeliveable attitude.
Rest in Peace Brother! You are one of the best!
The Reaper
09-19-2009, 11:17
RIP, Sergeant.
You will not be forgotten.
Thanks for sharing the story, Axe.
TR
Trip_Wire (RIP)
09-20-2009, 01:32
RIP SFC McCloskey!
Goggles Pizano
09-20-2009, 07:35
In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti Amen.
In pace requiescat SFC McCloskey, Dominus vobiscum.
Thank you for your service.
Ambush Master
09-20-2009, 09:38
Rest In Peace Brother!!
1stindoor
09-23-2009, 00:03
SFC McCloskey was my student down in Key West. Do any of his teammates remember when he came back without a bubble and a bum hip? I dare someone to ask about this story.
...........witt sends
I was his team sergeant when he finally graduated. Funny you mentioned that as I planned on bringing that up during his eulogy on Saturday. Shawn was a lot of things...but never a quitter.
ZonieDiver
09-23-2009, 13:44
Rest in Peace SFC McCloskey.
I was his team sergeant when he finally graduated. Funny you mentioned that as I planned on bringing that up during his eulogy on Saturday. Shawn was a lot of things...but never a quitter.
I just felt compelled to share that story. I would assume most of his team mates were not aware that he had struck such a chord with the SFUWO guys. I'm sure he didn't come back and bragg about how tough he had been. I would hope that his children hear of his character by those that knew him.
7th Group lost a great one!
1stindoor
09-24-2009, 17:50
I just felt compelled to share that story. I would assume most of his team mates were not aware that he had struck such a chord with the SFUWO guys. I'm sure he didn't come back and bragg about how tough he had been. I would hope that his children hear of his character by those that knew him.
7th Group lost a great one!
I hope you don't mind, but I added the complete story to my eulogy. I'll be at the church on Saturday delivering it and your "story" caps off the eulogy as a reminder to his wife and family how much he touched people outside of the Battalion.
LongWire
09-24-2009, 20:03
RIP Brother.............You Are Missed
I hope you don't mind, but I added the complete story to my eulogy. I'll be at the church on Saturday delivering it and your "story" caps off the eulogy as a reminder to his wife and family how much he touched people outside of the Battalion.
I am honored to have known him, I am happy that his wife and children will hear about his exploits down there.
Thanks!
R.I.P. Mac
Miss you brother. You were an inspiration to alot of new guys in the company, especially me, with your abrasive(don't take no BS from anyone)SF dude attitude. It was an honor to have served with you on 85. You will be missed but you will not be forgotten my friend.
Jr
CombatAdvisor
09-27-2009, 19:45
It was an honor to have known you Mac...RIP
1stindoor the eulogy was fitting Mac..Axeman thanks for sharing it with us and I assure you that it could not have been delivered with more pride than it was by his Team Sergeant. With 85 on the pall and his TM SGT speaking on his behalf, Mac was fittingly honored.
Mac youll be missed...
It was an honor to have known you Mac...RIP
1stindoor the eulogy was fitting Mac..Axeman thanks for sharing it with us and I assure you that it could not have been delivered with more pride than it was by his Team Sergeant. With 85 on the pall and his TM SGT speaking on his behalf, Mac was fittingly honored.
Mac youll be missed...
I wish I could have been at the service.
There is a wall by the "Big Window" down in Key West that has quite a few plaques to honor fallen Combat Divers. When I was down there, we were happy to accept plaques from dive teams who had lost a man and put the plaque up on that wall. Major Pete Russo is the current Commander down there, I'm sure that he would be willing to put up a plaque if you sent it to them so that all future Combat Divers will remember Shawn. At least I hope they are still doing this.
1stindoor
09-28-2009, 11:14
The funeral was a beautiful event. The weather worked out for us thankfully. I just wish I could have stayed longer with the team and the family. It was a brutal weekend for me from flying from Bliss on Friday, driving from NC at 0230 on Saturday, driving back right after the funeral and flying back to Texas on Sunday. It was good to see the majority of the team again and to see how much everyone came together to honor Shawn and show his wife that we were still there for each other.
I'll post a copy of my eulogy later on today.
1stindoor
10-16-2009, 08:27
I was reminded yesterday that I still haven't posted my eulogy to Shawn. I apologize for the delay as I've been wrapped around axles here at Taco Tech.
Anyhows, here's the majority of my remarks at graveside...
I don’t even know where to begin. My wife Angela will tell you that before I left for the Sergeants Major Academy, I told her that this was my greatest fear. That I would have to bury Shawn. All of us from 785 and the SF community that served with him…are left with a hole in our hearts at his loss.
I look out among his family and friends and I only hope that I can do justice to Shawn and honor his memory.
As I look to Jessica, Katie, and Colin I see Mac. And for those of us who knew him; to know Shawn is to know Jess, Katie, and Colin. Because no conversation from Mac was ever uttered, that didn’t somehow tie back into his wife and children. There are people he came in contact with that never knew him before or his family and yet would know Jessica and the kids at first sight because of Shawn. Complete strangers to you…know you and love you and have you and your family in their prayers because they knew Mac’s whole world revolved around you all. That was the essence of Shawn…his love for family. His laptop was a constantly moving slideshow of pictures of his family, and more than once he had been caught doing nothing but watching the images slide across the screen with that goofy little grin on his face, that said everything was right in his world.
I was blessed in 2005 and offered a chance to take over 785 as the team sergeant. Before I really began my tenure though I had already gotten a phone call from Shawn letting me know that he had passed Dive School. I extended my congrats and having not met him formally yet, I asked a few questions. I found out that this wasn’t his first attempt or his second. He even managed to break his own hip while fining. And while I admit that was pretty funny to me, what I recognized from this phone call was one of his other attributes that endeared him to me…he wouldn’t quit. Period. He was going to push himself to finish anything he put his mind to. And then I got to know Shawn better.
I found out that he joined after September 11, 2001. He not only joined the Army knowing we were in Afghanistan and Iraq…he joined Special Forces ensuring he would find himself in one or both of those countries. Not only did he volunteer for the Army, and SF, and airborne, and dive school. He also volunteered for Jumpmaster, Dive Supervisor, and other schools….And then I got to know Shawn even better.
I found out he wouldn’t stop talking either. Mac would speak his mind, it didn’t matter if it was in a team room full of guys that had been around for awhile and he was brand new from the course…thus earning him a word limit for the day (which is still one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard), or if it was around senior officers and sergeant majors. He was going to tell you his opinion. You didn’t have to agree with him, you didn’t have to like it, you didn’t even have to acknowledge he was talking directly to you…he was going to get his two cents in.
I found in Shawn…myself. We both had the same affliction. I think Ron White said it best, “We had the right to remain silent…what we lacked…was the ability.”
I was fortunate in that I had team sergeants that looked after me and tried to protect me from myself. Even as a team sergeant I said and wrote and condoned things that were less than appreciated at higher levels…thankfully I had senior NCOs that kept me from harming myself or others. I wanted to give back to those leaders by helping Shawn. I wanted him to be able to accomplish anything he wanted in life. I envied the future he had in front of him, as I knew my team life was coming to an end. I wanted to live vicariously through him…and the rest of the team. I have carried an enormous sense of pride in everything they’ve accomplished.
Shawn and Jimmie were the best engineers I have ever worked with. They complimented each other’s strengths and weaknesses perfectly and made my life and the rest of the team’s so much easier. Everyone’s quality of life in Afghanistan was greatly improved because of their work around our base camp. Even though Shawn’s abilities as an engineer were so evident I knew there was so much more he could accomplish. I pushed him towards the Intel job because I saw in him the ability to understand complex problems and come up with workable solutions. I still regret this decision. Even though he was quite competent at the job, I took away his tool belt, his faded t-shirts, his half slung worn jeans that showed his “carpenter’s crack” and the sawdust out of his hair. He threw himself into the school and learned the job…but I knew that this wasn’t his niche. He was doing this for me…and I loved him for the trust he gave me.
I will never forgot just how blessed I was to have had the opportunity to have Shawn on my team and more importantly manning my .50 cal on my gun truck during our deployment to Afghanistan in 2006. Sean Mullins, Chris Tonsmeire and I all have probably suffered hearing loss as a result of Mac’s ability to make that gun reach out and touch someone. And all of us are probably here because of Mac. Finally, I want to share something that was posted online from one of the many men that Shawn touched over the years. This came from someone I don’t know that apparently worked in Key West when Shawn was going through the course.
When SFC McCloskey came down to go through the Combat Diver Qualification Course he had a pretty decent initial performance level compared to his peers in the class. At some point (and I can't remember what event caused it) Shawn became one of the many that end up getting hurt while going through the training. Somehow, he had hurt his hip and we (the Instructors) could see both a change in his performance and a noticeable limp coming from "Mr. McCloskey". As each day went by, we could see his injury get worse and worse and you could see the level of pain that he was enduring above and beyond what pain you are normally feeling during CDQC training. When he was in the water, his performance level was well within the standards that we had set for each training event. It was his performance during the out of the water events that became a problem. What stood out to all of us was "Mr. McCloskey's" unbelievable positive attitude, personal motivation, and intestinal fortitude which definitely motivated and inspired the entire SFUWO Committee. It got to the point where we would have instructor meetings after every event to discuss "Mr. McCloskey's" performance and also his level of injury. We wanted to let this guy continue (there was no way he was ever going to quit!) but we were very worried that he was going to cause some permanent damage to himself and ruin his body. Shawn was at the point where he could barely walk when we pulled him out kicking and screaming. He was literally dragging his leg behind him just to get around. When we (Doc Rob Price) finally dropped him for medical reasons, Shawn was upset but totally understood our reasoning for pulling him out. The class had just started introduction to the DRAEGER LAR V UBA. SFC McCloskey was told that he was to go home and heal up and then come back to finish the course. He was the first CDQC student to qualify for a new change in policy where we had decided that if a student was dropped for admin or medical reasons, the SFUWO Commander could give the student a letter inviting him to come back and pick up with the phase that he left off at. This meant that Shawn did not have to go back through the pool training and could come back and join a class starting with open circuit training. When he came back, Shawn was still sporting a slight limp. He came back and displayed the same personal motivation and intestinal fortitude that inspired us all before. We were all very proud to punch that bubble into his chest on graduation day. Later, he came back and became a Dive Supervisor. I saw him just a couple of months ago at Womack when we were both waiting at the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions and had the chance to hang out and talk with him for about 30 minutes. He still had a slight limp.
Shawn was the best kind of Green Beret, the real deal and a great person as well. I just wanted all of you out there to know how he inspired and emotionally moved the entire SFUWO Committee at one point because of his unbelievable attitude.
Rest in Peace Brother! You are one of the best!
__________________
I am so deeply sorry for the loss of Shawn. This past week has been very hard on my family, and me and there have been a lot of tears shed. As I look out to his Jessica, Katie, Colin, his family, and friends, I know that I am not alone in my grief, and I know that nothing I’ve said here can ever make up for that emptiness we all feel. I can only hope and pray that as Shawn looks down on us he knows that all of us have been touched in a way that can never be replicated and that our lives are richer because of his love for us.
Thank you.
...Rest in Peace Brother! You are one of the best!
1stindoor - that was nicely done, thank you for the post.
1stindoor
10-18-2009, 21:24
1stindoor - that was nicely done, thank you for the post.
Thank you. Unfortunately I couldn't make his memorial at Bragg...but I was there in spirit.
charlietwo
10-18-2009, 23:05
One of the many guys I wished I had stayed in touch with after the Q Course...
You will be missed, brother! RIP
seandmullins
04-07-2012, 17:06
Thank you. Unfortunately I couldn't make his memorial at Bragg...but I was there in spirit.
Meant to post this years ago, but got caught in Beltway traffic.
This is how I memorialized Shawn at the JFK Chapel...
When I think of the qualities embodied by the ideal SF soldier, I think about an 18C named SFC Shawn Patrick McCloskey.
Mac was smart. Not many 18C’s were former aeronautical engineering students. Like many SF soldiers, though, Mac felt compelled to apply his gifts in an arena more challenging than the classroom could ever provide. While building breaching charges and improvised munitions on demolition ranges, Mac never ceased to amaze his teammates with his rapid mental arithmetic. He used to joke that there wasn’t a single bomb he built in SF whose calculations couldn’t be solved by his sister’s kids. As an Engineer Sergeant and an Intelligence Sergeant, Mac showed that his intelligence wasn’t just a quality demonstrated on paper, but rather it was constantly displayed in the integrity and complexity of his construction projects as well as his detailed mission planning.
Mac was dedicated. Enlisting as an 18X after 9/11, Mac knew that our nation was at war. When most men would turn away, Mac followed the sound of the guns. He immediately volunteered not just to be a soldier, but an SF soldier. That wasn’t enough for Mac, though. He had to be a combat diver, too. Continuing to depart from convention, Mac didn’t stop there, either. In SF, Mac realized that our work is never done. There are always more missions to train for, more skills to learn and master. He strived for perfection in all tasks he undertook, and the stream of qualifications he earned in his five years on an ODA serves as proof enough that Mac wasn’t satisfied as long as someone possessed a skill he didn’t.
Mac was strong. During combatives training on his second deployment to Colombia, a teammate dislocated Mac’s shoulder. After we reduced the injury with the assistance of some IV Valium and bound his arm in a sling and swathe, Mac sneered at his opponent, “Don’t feel like you need to go easy on me. I still owe you 1:10.” Although Mac was most likely joking, he no doubt would have followed through with that threat and continued fighting if only we had let him. He entered the Army on the tail end of his twenties, and he subjected himself to Scuba School three times. Mac could tough out anything, and you’d never hear him complain because he was humble enough to realize that, no matter how much he was struggling, there was always someone worse off than him.
Mac was lethal. Not only was he qualified to drop precision laser guided ordinance, Mac was also a sniper and a skilled M2 machine gunner. That’s a wide range of munitions in which Mac was an expert in employment. No matter which village we patrolled in Afghanistan, I felt safe in my gun truck because no one could hide from the precision of fire that only Mac was able to deliver. During our last firefight together in Afghanistan on August 19, 2006, there was a split second where I didn’t think we’d make it. But as soon as that thought entered my mind, it was forcefully expelled by the roar of Mac’s .50 cal as he swung the gun directly over my unprotected ears to suppress the enemy and cover my sector while I reloaded. While I later joked that his actions spurred my hearing loss, I’ve always felt like that day may have transpired differently had anyone other than Mac been in the turret of my truck. His intelligence, his strength, and his dedication made him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
When I think of the qualities that make a good man, I think of Shawn.
Shawn spoke from the heart. Much to the chagrin of his team leadership, he voiced his pleasure, and his displeasure, to everyone around him, whether or not they asked. He was sure to tell you how he felt about something, without the comfortable sugar coating. Shawn wasn’t intentionally rude or tactless, but rather he was purposefully sincere and heartfelt. His honesty was sobering. You always got the truth from Shawn, even if it was what you didn’t want to hear. I’d give anything to hear him tell me how mediocre this speech is right now.
Shawn was selfless. He placed the needs of those around him above his own. After work, on the weekends, and generally around the clock, Shawn was never too busy for a friend. His wife may tell you that Shawn probably spent more personal time building decks, fences, shelves, paving driveways, and turning wrenches on cars with his buddies than he spent at home. When you’re as dependable as Shawn was, people become more dependent on you. Just like the sturdy foundations he built, Shawn had plenty of people leaning on him for support.
Shawn loved his family. He talked to his wife so much on the phone and over the internet that we joked that Shawn always deployed with his wife. Even when he was at work, his wife and children were a constant topic of conversation. He was so proud of them that he set his laptop idle settings to display a slide show of photos to play in a continuous loop while he was away from his computer. Many of us have caught Shawn grinning like a Cheshire cat, staring lovingly at his computer screen thousands of miles away from the objects of his affection.
Just as we all leaned on Mac, now is the time for you to lean on us for support. To his family, we understand you may have only been witness to half of your loved one’s character. The men of 785 were privileged to know him in ways only brothers in arms can. We’ll do our best to share our memories with you, and – to Mac’s credit – without too much sugar coating.
Mac showed us how to be a warrior, and Shawn showed us how to be a man. Thank you for sharing your son, your brother, your husband, your father with us.
De Opresso Liber
"Send Me"
RIP SFC M...and for all of his friends I'm sorry for your personal loss.
alright4u
04-08-2012, 12:40
RIP SFC McCloskey, Vaya con Dios..
May your passing be to a far better place then any of us know.
I hope and pray someone will explain to me why we have SF, Infantry, and everyone riding around in vehicles?
It makes little sense to me for SF to be playing conventional mech infantry riding on MSR's.
Basenshukai
04-08-2012, 23:34
I was glad that I was able to make the funeral service. It was touching to see so many brothers from the unit come together for this somber event. I visited his grave a few weeks later and found a team coin on his plaque. It looked so appropiate sitting there. He was the quintessential "team guy"; an SF Soldier.