Taylor, Brent Russell

Also known as: MAJ, UTAH ARMY NATIONAL GUARD STAFF ELEMENT, JOINT FORCE HEADQUARTERS - UTAH, UTARNG, DRAPER, UT

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedNovember 3, 2018

Age39 years old

Location of DeathCAMP SCORPION, AFGHANISTAN

Cause of DeathWounds sustained from small arms fire in an insider attack during a training exercise.

Conflict Operation Freedom's Sentinel

Brent Russell Taylor, 39, was a major in the Utah Army National Guard from Orem, Utah. He was killed in a hostile incident at Camp Scorpion, Afghanistan, on November 3, 2018.

Their Story

Brent Russell Taylor was a major in the Utah Army National Guard, serving with its Joint Force Headquarters staff element. A resident of Orem, Utah, he was also a former mayor of North Ogden, having been elected to the nonpartisan position in 2013. He held a doctorate in international relations from the University of Utah and was on his second voluntary deployment to Afghanistan, having previously served there in 2006-2007.

On November 3, 2018, Major Taylor was killed at Camp Scorpion, a military base in the Kabul province. According to U.S. Department of Defense statements, he died from wounds sustained in an insider attack. An Afghan commando, reportedly a member of the Afghan National Army, opened fire on U.S. and Afghan personnel during a training exercise.

Taylor's death occurred during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S.-led NATO mission that succeeded the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission in January 2015. The operation's stated objectives included training, advising, and assisting Afghan security forces and conducting counterterrorism operations against militant groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

News of his death prompted widespread reaction in Utah. Governor Gary Herbert ordered flags to be flown at half-staff. Tributes from political leaders, both Republican and Democratic, highlighted his dual service as a soldier and a mayor. His funeral in North Ogden was attended by hundreds of community members and military personnel.

Taylor was survived by his wife, Jennie, and seven children. In the months following his death, the Utah legislature passed a bill naming a stretch of state highway in his honor. His widow later published a book compiling his letters from deployment, and a memorial scholarship was established in his name at Weber State University.