Utahn mourns the "real hero" loss: Mayor of North Ogden, Brent Taylor killed in Afghanistan an apparent insider attack

After taking his order to Afghanistan in January, Mayor of North Ogden, Brent Taylor, went to Facebook to tell his creators that he would have gone and what he could expect.

It was an easy choice for him for months in decision making, rooted in decisions that he made years ago for serving God, his family, and his country.

"Although I'm not perfect in any of these aspects," he said, "I gave my life to serve all three loyalties when and as far as I can."

He had to leave the plan for a year. The family learned Saturday that she would never return.

Taylor was killed during Kabul's insider attacks during the early Saturday. The attacker's death was immediately killed by Afghan forces, according to NATO. The Utah National Guard did not confirm that Taylor was killed in the attack, but General Jefferson S. Burton, the General General, said in a press release: "My heart is broken because of the loss and sacrifice of the soldier, especially the family.I want them to be kind and courageous, to face the difficult days. "

Governor Utah Gary Herbert stated that Taylor's death broke away and called the mayor of North Ogden a "brave and selfless soldier."

"The whole Herbert family mourns this soldier's family and we pray that they will lift their burdens and reach out to the hearts of every Utahn to calm them in their sorrow," Herbert said.

Governor Spencer Cox echoed Herbert, who wrote on Facebook: "We have lost our true hero and one of the best people in our state. We have to be around the sweet family."

Taylor, leader of the Utah National Guard, as part of an advisory group that is a member of an Afghan Command-Battalion. In Facebook's Live Video, which announced its deployment, Taylor said that his service will help President Donald Trump increase his troops and expand the capabilities of Afghan units.

"Serving the mayor of North Ogden City was one of the greatest honors of my life and the highlight of my civil career," he said. "The service is actually what management is about."

In the middle of January, on the day of its installation, North Ogden police accompanied Taylor and his family around the city, as hundreds of residents drove the streets to see him.

"I think he will show you how big a leader he is willing to sacrifice and leave his family for fighting for his country. I think he is very respectable," said Jeremiah Jones, North View Fire District commander.

North Ogden City Councilor Carl Turner said he had suffered shock after receiving the news of Taylor's death. Turner said Taylor will talk about the Mayor's mission in Afghanistan. Turner said that Taylor always tells her how funny she is.

"And he liked the people there and loved to work with them," Turner said.

During the installation, Taylor often spoke of the Afghan soldiers he related to, saying he was inspired by the case.

"Things will be great here," he wrote in June, "and I really love working with fearsome Afghan soldiers and my wonderful American colleagues."

Taylor wrote in the recent Afghan elections on his last Facebook entry in the recent Afghan elections: "Strong involvement despite attacks and challenges has been a success for people in Afghanistan and human freedom, and I am proud of the brave Afghan and American soldiers I serve. US, NATO allied and Afghan troops died to take moments as possible, for example, my dear friend, Kefayatullah Lt, who was killed against the Taliban on the day before the vote.

"As soon as the US is ready to vote next week at our own election, I hope everyone returns and exercises a valuable right to vote, and that the Republicans or the Democrats will win that we all remember that we are far more than the Americans, who are joining us as they share with us. "We are standing together, sharing." God bless America. "

Taylor survived his wife, Jennie and seven children. Taylor documented his installation on Facebook and announced that through Skype he could see that his youngest daughter was learning how to walk and that his 15th birthday was over. On September 18, the following was written: "The rock star my wife was parenting through the education of parents and seven children and through four settlements to Iraq and Afghanistan and five full years of separation for military service."

During the 2007 Iraqi settlement, Brent and Jennie Taylor headed the "Feed Uncle SAM" effort with which Jennie collected $ 75,000 care packages, toys, educational materials, and humanitarian supplies in Utah. Then Taylor led 14 other Utah soldiers to rural villages in Iraq, Qudeela and Ankawa to hand over the donations.

"I want you to know that you smile on the face of the Iraqi people," said Brent Taylor, the Utahns who donated.

Jennie Taylor said at that time: "To see our good soldiers among the local Iraqi people, they remember how my husband and I decided we should go first."

Turner said when Taylor and his wife met for the first time, they linked their love for the constitution. He said that Jennie Taylor was "too much supporter of" her husband's military service. "

"That's right. They're God and the country first," Turner said, and he said it means his family was first.

North Ogden City Councilor Phillip Swanson said he had talked with Taylor for two days and Taylor's friends and family were "all heartless" because of the news.

"He's a kind of public, private and political life," Swanson said, "we lost a really good person.

Swanson, who said that Taylor and Taylor were close to "political anger" in North Ogden over the past six years, city officials are still trying to clear their minds around the news, but plan some sort of ceremony for Taylor's honor. He said more information would be on Monday.

Taylor was elected to North Ogden City Council in 2009 and then as Mayor in 2013. It was re-elected in 2017. She graduated from Brigham Young University in 2006 and graduated from University of Utah in 2012, according to her biography on the North Ogden City website.

He was the vocal critic of the Utah Transit Authority, even when he served in the UTA camp. The members of the council initially attempted to block the nomination of the Weber Governing Council as its father's train operator. State Secretary John Dougall did not agree that the conflict excluded and Taylor was occupied. He then voted for the UTA budget, the only member. The board of UTA has been dissolved and replaced by a new board of three.

Prior to her death Taylor served for more than a decade in the work of the United States Army National Guard, including seven years of active service. He has organized two tours in Iraq and an Afghanistan without the latest tour.

Taylor was the first politician in Utah who took advantage of the law that allowed elected officials to maintain their position while settling overseas and giving temporary control to someone else until they return. Mayor Brent Chugg served in Taylor's absence.

North Ogden city manager and lawyer Jon Call said on Saturday that he was not "exactly sure" what will happen to the mayor's position. He said there are two possibilities: either Chugg is in office or automatically loses the situation – since Chugg was essentially Taylor's substitute – and the council will nominate a new Mayor until the next election in November 2019.

Since Taylor was the only elected officer in Utah to use the statutes, Call said he did not know what would happen.

In the absence of Taylor, the Utah National Guard stated that the soldier he was killed was "a trained professional, fully committed to community, country and mission".

"The unselfishness and victimization of our services defines the Utah National Guard. Our priority now is to take care of the family, ensuring they have all the resources they need in critical time," he said.

The latest Utah National Guard who was murdered by 27-year-old Staff Sgt. Aaron Butler. He died on August 16, 2017 during an explosion while clearing the buildings in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan.

Two other Utah National Guards were killed in Afghanistan in Butler: Sgt. James Thode First Class in 2010 and Second Lt. Scott Lundell in 2006.

Robert Gehrke tribune editor contributed to this report.