Mckenna, Peter Andrew Jr

Peter Andrew Mckenna Jr. was a 35-year-old U.S. Army Special Forces soldier from Bristol, Rhode Island. He served with Company A, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), which was based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

On the evening of August 8, 2015, Mckenna was part of a NATO convoy traveling near Camp Integrity, a special operations facility in Kabul. The convoy came under attack. According to U.S. Department of Defense statements, Mckenna died from wounds sustained when his vehicle was struck by an enemy rocket-propelled grenade.

Mckenna's death occurred during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S.-led mission that began in January 2015 following the conclusion of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission. The operation focused on counter-terrorism and advising Afghan forces as insurgent attacks, including complex assaults in the capital, continued.

Following his death, the U.S. Army posthumously awarded Mckenna the Bronze Star Medal with 'V' device for valor and the Purple Heart. His body was returned to Rhode Island, where a funeral service was held at St. Mary's Church in Bristol. Governor Gina Raimondo ordered flags flown at half-staff in his honor.

First Sergeant Mckenna was a veteran of multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He is remembered by his unit and community as a dedicated senior non-commissioned officer. His name is inscribed on the Bristol Veterans Memorial and the Global War on Terrorism memorial at the National Infantry Museum.

First Sergeant Peter Mckenna was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (ongoing since 2015). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael, Ruiz, Pablo Allende Iii, Roland, Matthew David.

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