Ashland soldier drowns in accident in Afghanistan

Vehicle rolled into riverbed

Master Sergeant Shawn E. Simmons and two others died in the accident Saturday.

A soldier from Ashland drowned in a noncombat accident in Afghanistan Saturday along with two others, according to a statement from the US Army Special Forces Command.

Master Sergeant Shawn E. Simmons, 38, who was with the Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha team, drowned after the vehicle he was in rolled into a riverbed near Khosrow-E Sofla, in the Arghandab District, Kandahar province.

Sergeant First Class Jeffrey M. Radamorales, 32, of Puerto Rico and Sergeant James M. Treber, 24, of San Diego also died. All three were assigned to Company A, First Battalion, Seventh Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., and were conducting a patrol at the time. The accident is under investigation.

Simmons deployed with Operation Enduring Freedom in May as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan. This was his second deployment to Afghanistan.

Simmons entered the army in February 1992 as a power generation equipment repairer. He was then assigned in 1995 to the 307th Forward Maintenance Company at Fort Bragg, and in May 1997 began the Special Forces Qualification Course. Simmons, who earned a Green Beret in 1999, was then assigned to Fort Bragg as a Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha engineer sergeant.

He left in 2005 to become an instructor at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg but returned to the Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha in 2007.

Simmons was qualified in several courses including the Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course and the Special Forces Qualification Course. He also received several awards and decorations including the Meritorious Service Medal, a Combat Infantryman Badge, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and two Army Commendation medals.

Simmons lived most recently in Hope Mills, N.C. He leaves his wife, Tricia; a daughter, Erin; a son, Justin; and his mother, Alberta of Tallahassee, Fla.

His family had no comment when reached last night.