The lasted U.S. casualty in Afghanistan was an intelligence officer serving with the Special Operations Joint Task Force (SOJTF). Major Brent Taylor was a member of the Utah Army National Guard. He was killed by small arms fire on Saturday, November 3, 2018 in the green-on-blue incident. He was serving on an advisory team training Afghan Commandos. Another U.S. service member was wounded and received medical treatment.
Major Brent Taylor had served an earlier tour in Afghanistan in 2012 – once as an advisor to the Afghan Border Police or ABP. He also completed two tours in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. His position in the Utah National Guard was a military intelligence officer with Joint Force Headquarters. He was on a 12-month long deployment.
He enlisted in the army after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 entering military service in 2003. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corp in 2006 as a graduate of the Brigham Young University Reserve Officer Training Corp. Among his other decorations he was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal.
Age 39, Taylor was the major of North Ogden, Utah – a town of about 19,000 people in a community 40 miles north of Salt Lake City. He was also a doctoral candidate in international relations at the University of Utah. He leaves behind a wife and seven children.
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References:
“DoD Identifies Army Casualty”, U.S. Department of Defense, November 4, 2018.
“Apparent Insider Attack Kills U.S. Service Member”, Resolute Support, November 4, 2018.
Editorial Note: This story was originally published on November 5, 2018 but has been updates with additional information and photos after that date.
