A Green Beret from the 3rd Special Forces Group was killed in action in Afghanistan on Tuesday. SFC Joshua Beale, age 32, died from wounds suffered by small arms fire on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations. Beale was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
News of the death of the Green Beret in combat came the day after a suicide bombing attack by the Taliban on an Afghan military base in the eastern Afghan province of Maidan Wardak which killed scores of members of the Afghan security forces.
This latest casualty came about a week after Ranger Sgt. Cameron Meddock died last week at a medical facility in Germany after being wounded by small arms fire on January 13 during a combat operation in Badghis Province, Afghanistan.
Meddock, 26, of Amarillo, Texas, was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
Beale was a from Carrollton, Virginia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University in 2008.
He then enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2011. He attended Basic Training, Advanced Infantry Training, and the U.S. Army Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA. Beale then graduated in 2013 from the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) and was subsequently assigned to 3rd SFG(A).
Beale also graduated from the Advanced Leader Course, Special Forces Sniper Course, and Army Ranger School. This was his fourth overseas tour and his third tour to Afghanistan. He had more than seven years of service in the Army.
His awards and decorations include three Bronze Star Medals, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge and Combat Infantry Badge.
Beale was posthumously awarded a fourth Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Meritorious Service Medal. He was posthumously promoted to Sgt. 1st Class.
“Joshua was a smart, talented and dedicated member of 3rd SFG (A) and the special operations community. He will be greatly missed by everyone who had the fortunate opportunity to know him. We extend our deepest condolences to his family for this tragic loss.” Col. Nathan Prussian, 3rd SFG (A) commander.
Beale leaves a wife and two children at Ft. Bragg, NC.
The US has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan with the majority of those forces serving in non-combat roles as part of the NATO-led “train and assist” mission, helping to train and advise local Afghan forces.
However, a smaller number of US Special Operations Forces participate in counterterrorism missions against international terrorist groups like al Qaeda and ISIS as well as the Taliban.
Photos: US Army