'We're Deeply Saddened by the Loss of One of Our Own': Special Forces Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
A sergeant who was stationed in Fort Lee, New Jersey, was killed Monday while serving in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Army.
Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin, 34, was killed during a firefight while on patrol in the Nangarhar Province in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, Army officials said.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own," said Gen. John Nicholson, commander, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. "At this very difficult time our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families and friends of our fallen and wounded brothers."
Four other soldiers were wounded in the same attack. Pentagon officials say two of them are in stable condition and are receiving treatment in a nearby medical facility. The other two have returned to duty.
Golin was assigned to B Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group out of Fort Carson, Colorado.
Golin's daughter, Riga, and mother, Latvia, reside in Englewood, Colorado, and his father, David, lives in Brooklyn, according to a casualty announcement provided to members of Congress and governors.
"Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin served our nation with courage and distinction, and his death is a loss that will be felt across New Jersey," Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a written statement.
"Let us honor Sgt. Golin's extraordinary courage by reflecting on his commitment to the nation he loved, and by recognizing the profound debt of gratitude we owe to him and to his family for their sacrifice," the New Jersey lawmaker said.
"I extend my deepest condolences to Sgt. Golin's family and friends during this very difficult time," he continued. "And my thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers injured in this tragic incident."
Navy Capt. Tom Gresback, a U.S. military spokesman in Kabul, said Tuesday that "there has been a tremendous amount of kinetic activity in the Achin district" of late, using a military term that typically connotes firefights and other violence.
"We continue to work very closely with our Afghan partners in aggressively clearing significant amount of territory in Southern Nangarhar," Gresback said in an email. "We continue to apply increased military pressure on ISIS-K, forcing their movement from their front-line positions."
Golin initially served as an infantryman, deploying once to Iraq and twice to Afghanistan. He joined Special Forces in 2014 and deployed to Afghanistan in September.
U.S. military officials in Afghanistan have declined to release additional information about the incident. It is currently under investigation, the Pentagon said in a news release.
