Mayor From North Ogden, Utah Identified as Service Member Killed in Afghanistan

The U.S. armed forces member who was killed in an apparent insider attack in Afghanistan on Saturday has been identified as the mayor of a Utah city. Brent Taylor, the mayor of North Ogden, had taken a one-year leave of absence from his mayoral duties to deploy to Afghanistan as a member of the state’s National Guard. He was expected to complete his deployment in January but was killed by a member of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces while serving as part of an advisory team. His death prompted an outpouring of grief from state and city leaders late Saturday, with Utah Rep. Mia Love, Gov. Gary Herbert, and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox among those to praise him on social media. Herbert described Taylor as a “selfless soldier” and said he felt “completely humbled” by his sacrifice. Prior to his latest deployment, Taylor served two tours of duty during the Iraq War and one in Afghanistan. He leaves behind seven children and a wife.