KINGMAN, Ariz.—A Navy sailor who was killed after he and a fellow sailor disappeared miles away from their base in a dangerous area of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban is being remembered by his family as a devoted father and a hard worker who always volunteered for the most challenging assignments.
The family of Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley released a statement Saturday that included a collection of memories and thoughts they wanted to share.
“To really remember Justin, it is important that you know what made Justin unique and special to his family and friends,” the statement reads.
It goes on to talk about his love for his two boys, ages 5 and 9, and his sense of humor. McNeley was the first one to lighten a conversation by cracking a joke, he enjoyed making unannounced visits to surprise his family, and he would supply the food whenever there was a family gathering, his family said.
They also said he was a thinker with a strategic mind and he liked to look people in the eye when he talked to them.
McNeley and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove, who was from the Seattle area, disappeared in the Logar province July 23. Their bodies were recovered a few days later.
The mysterious incident has sparked an investigation.
Officials at the NATO-led coalition headquarters in Kabul have offered no explanation as to why the two service members were driving a heavily armored vehicle nearly 60 miles from their base at Camp Julien, a training facility on the city’s western edge.
A NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the case was being investigated, had said it was unclear what the two were doing, what prompted them to leave their compound, or whether they were on official business.
Senior military officials in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said last week the sailors were never assigned anywhere near where their bodies were found.
McNeley’s family did not address the investigation or the circumstances surrounding the sailors’ deaths.
Newlove joined the Navy in March 2004, completed his duty and joined the reserve in December 2008. He was called back to duty and was in Afghanistan by December 2009. He was trained as a culinary specialist, but it was unclear whether he was working at that job in Kabul.
McNeley, who moved to Kingman in 2004 from Colorado, joined the Navy in 2001 and deployed to Afghanistan last year. He was classified as a hull technician. The job entails skilled metal work to maintain ships.
McNeley’s family said they are proud of his service to his country. They said he’ll be missed “more than words can describe.”
