Highly-Decorated Fort Lee Soldier Died Days Shy Of 13th Enlistment Date

FORT LEE, N.J. — The remains of soldier Mihail Golin who was killed fighting in Afghanistan are back home, multiple sources report.

Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin, an 18B Special Forces Weapons Sergeant assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), died Jan. 1, 2018, as a result of wounds he sustained while engaged in combat operations in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.
Photo Credit: *1st Special Forces Command (Airborne)*

Cecilia Levine

01/04/2018 11:39 a.m.

The remains of 1st Class Sgt. Golin, 34, arrived at Dover Air Force base in Delaware on Wednesday, according to the Washington Post.

Four other soldiers were wounded in the Jan. 1 battle -- 2 are stable, and 2 haven't returned to duty, the article says.

Golin died Monday as a result of wounds he sustained while engaged in combat operations in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, according to a statement released by the U.S. Army.

Golin was born in Riga, Latvia, Aug. 20, 1983. He moved to the United States in October 2004 and enlisted in the U.S. Army from Fort Lee, Jan. 5, 2005. He died four days shy of his 13th enlistment anniversary.

Golin's awards include the Purple Heart Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, four Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Valorous Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters, two Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, and the Parachutist Badge.

After completing basic training and advanced individual training, Golin was assigned as an 11B Infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Following his assignment in Alaska, Golin volunteered for Special Forces training and graduated from the Army's Special Forces Qualification Course in November 2014. He was then assigned to 10th SFG (A) as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant.

Golin deployed to Afghanistan in September 2017 with the 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG (A) in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

Prior to this deployment, Golin deployed three times. He deployed once to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from September 2006 to November 2007, and twice to Afghanistan from February 2009 to February 2010 and from December 2011 to October 2012, both in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

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