Remembering the Life and Memory of...

SFC Mihail Golin

Hometown:  Fort Lee, NJ.
Died: January 1, 2018
Age: 34
Unit: B Company, 2nd Bn, 10th Special Forces Group, Fort Carson, Colorado.​

Sergeant First Class Mihail Golin, 34, who enlisted into the service in 2005 while living in Fort Lee, died from injuries sustained during small arms fire while on dismounted patrol in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan, the Army said.
He deployed September 2017 with the 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group out of Fort Carson, Colorado in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
He had previously deployed 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. 
Golin was born in Riga, Latvia, and moved to the United States in October 2004 when he was 21-years-old. He enlisted in the Army a few months later, in January 2005.
After completing basic training and advanced individual training, Golin was assigned as an Infantryman with the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
Golin then volunteered for Special Forces training and graduated from the Army's Special Forces Qualification Course in November 2014. He was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant.

​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.

Sergeant First Class Mihail Golin pictured with his ex-wife, Katerina, and 6-year-old daughter, Vlada, who live in Colorado. (Golin Family/New York Daily News)