Lane, Mitchell Arthur
Male
Verified SFC Mitchell Arthur Lane, 34, of Lompoc, California, was a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier. He died in Deh Chopan, Afghanistan, on August 29, 2003, during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Their Story
Mitchell Arthur Lane was a 34-year-old Army Special Forces soldier from Lompoc, California. He served as a Sergeant First Class with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
On August 29, 2003, Lane was killed in a firefight with Taliban forces in the mountainous Deh Chopan district of Zabul province, Afghanistan. According to U.S. military reports, his unit was conducting a combat patrol when it came under small-arms fire. Lane was one of two U.S. soldiers killed in the engagement.
His death occurred during a period of intensified combat in southeastern Afghanistan in the summer of 2003. Following the initial invasion in 2001, U.S. and allied forces were engaged in counter-insurgency operations against a regrouping Taliban and other militant factions. The Deh Chopan area was a known insurgent stronghold.
Lane's death was reported by major news agencies, including the Associated Press, at the time. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Fort Bragg and on Panel 9W, Line 122 of the Afghanistan Campaign Memorial at the National Infantry Museum.
Lane is remembered by his unit and community as a dedicated Special Forces soldier. His name is listed on the Defense Casualty Analysis System and other memorials honoring U.S. service members who died in Afghanistan.
Explore Further
SFC Mitchell Lane was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
