U.S. Soldier Killed in Afghanistan, 4 Wounded in New Year’s Day Attack

The first casualty of war for 2018 occurred on New Year’s Day when Army Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin, 34, of Fort Lee, N.J., was killed in Afghanistan, as reported by Stars and Stripes. Four other service members were wounded when the group came under small-arms fire while on a foot patrol

Sgt. Golin was a Special Forces weapons sergeant assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.-based B Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group. Born in Riga, Latvia, in 1983, he moved to the United States in 2004 and enlisted in the Army in 2005.

After basic training, Sgt. Golin was assigned as an infantryman in Alaska. He later volunteered to join the Green Berets and completed Special Forces training in 2014.

When he was killed Monday, it was his fourth deployment. He has previously served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and served twice during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Sgt. Golin was a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal with one oak cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters.

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