Newark Army Colonel Killed in Afghanistan

An Army colonel from Newark is among those killed in an insurgent attack in Afghanistan.

Army officials said Thursday that 46-year-old Col. John McHugh, stationed in Fort Leavenworth, died Tuesday after his convoy was stuck by a suicide car bombing.

The attack, the deadliest on NATO forces in Kabul in eight months, killed four other U.S. soldiers and a Canadian. By most accounts that attack sent the death toll in Afghanistan over 1000.

McHugh was serving as chief of Operations Group A with the Battle Command Training Program based at Fort Leavenworth. He was on a training mission at the time of the attack.

He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1986 and also had degrees from American Public University and U.S. Army War College.

He is survived by his wife, five children and one granddaughter.

McHugh has two sons -- one, Michael, was serving in Iraq when his father was killed and escorted the body home from Kuwait, according to the Daily News.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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