UPDATE: New Castle soldier serving third tour of duty killed in action

Associated Press

NEW CASTLE, Pa.

Military authorities say a Lawrence County, Pa., man was one of six soldiers killed in an attack in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense says 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Edward Mills Jr. of New Castle and the others died Thursday of wounds following an attack in Kandahar province.

Mills was a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne Ranger Pathfinders on his third tour of duty in the Middle East.

Family memberssaid that the 2000 graduate of Union High School had been in Afghanistan since Feb. 11.

“He was in a highly-trained, specialized unit,” said his uncle, Francis “Poncho” Exposito. “He liked it and talked about making a career for himself in the military.”

Exposito said the family was notified early Friday. He said he did not have details of the attack that killed Mills.

“It’s been tough,” he said. “We’re a close family. This is the last thing you expect to hear — especially on Memorial Day weekend.”

Also killed were 27-year-old 1st Lt. John M. Runkle of West Salem, Ohio; 35-year-old Staff Sgt. Ergin V. Osman of Jacksonville, N.C.; 25-year-old Sgt. Thomas A. Bohall of Bel Aire, Kan.; 21-year-old Spc. Adam J. Patton of Port Orchard, Wash.; and 39-year-old Sgt. Louie A. Ramos Velazquez of Camuy, Puerto Rico, military authorities said