The military has identified the soldier killed in Afghanistan Monday as Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin, a 34-year-old from Fort Lee, N.J.
Golin, a Latvian immigrant, was killed by enemy fire in Achin, Nangarhar Province during a dismounted patrol, the Defense Department said Wednesday. Golin was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Carson, Colo.
Four more U.S. service members were wounded in the attack. Two were treated and listed in stable condition on Tuesday, and the two others returned to duty.
Golin marks the first combat death in Afghanistan of the year. Fifteen U.S. service members died in Afghanistan last year.
"We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own,” said Gen. John Nicholson, commander of 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."
Golin immigrated from Latvia when he was 21, his father told the New York Post.
"[His service] made me proud of him," David Golin told the paper. "He grew up a very brave man. He wanted to serve his new country."
The soldier is survived by his ex-wife and a 6-year-old daughter, both of whom live in Colorado.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker first disclosed Golin's name Tuesday night in a statement.
“Sergeant First Class Mihail Golin served our nation with courage and distinction, and his death is a loss that will be felt across New Jersey. Let us honor Sergeant 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," Booker said. "I extend my deepest condolences to Sergeant Golin's family and friends during this very difficult time, and my thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers injured in this tragic incident.”
