‘He changed my life’: Afghan pilot remembers Major Brent Taylor

OGDEN — Soldiers across the world are remembering Major Brent Taylor. The mayor of North Ogden and a Major in Utah’s Army National Guard was killed in Afghanistan on Saturday in what reportedly was “an insider attack” at the Kabul Military Training Center. A member of the Afghan security forces opened fire on them, according to the Washington Post.

Many Utah officials have publicly praised Major Taylor and what he meant to both Utah, the Utah National Guard, and the country. Included in those praising the late North Ogden mayor is a pilot in Afghanistan who shared missions with Taylor.

Remembering Major Brent Taylor

Major Abdul Rahman Rahmani, a Special Mission Wing Pilot from Afghanistan who was stationed in Kabul, who had the opportunity to serve with Major Taylor on various missions and tweeted out a letter addressed to Major Taylor’s wife.

Dear Mrs. Taylor,
Maj Taylor was my friend. I wrote this letter for his family.
I hope this little contribution eases your pain.

Note: this letter was sent to his physical add by one my American mentors. I tried to email too but I failed to find her email. pic.twitter.com/28nH7o4W6D

— Abdul Rahman Rahmani (@rahmanrahmanee) November 5, 2018

Utah’s Morning News interviewed Major Rahmani regarding the letter and what Major Taylor meant to those in Afghanistan earlier today.

“Major [Brent] Taylor was a friend of mine and many other Afghans that we served together,” Rahmani said.

Rahmani also spoke about the importance that Major Taylor had on his life.

“We met during these missions, a couple of times. … He changed my life,” Rahmani said.

One of the lessons that Rahmani learned from Taylor came after the Afghan pilot shouted at his children over the phone.

“We were waiting in a hangar and I got a call from home and I was shouting and talking loud with my kids over the phone. And when I cut the phone, those words [on the letter] came from after that brief phone call. And he said, ‘Don’t shout on your children. They have the right to say things and you don’t have the right to shout on them,'” Rahmani said.

Rahmani continued to say that he spoke with Major Taylor that night for over two hours.

“He changed my life when I met him, and he’s not with us right now, and he’s changing my life again.”

Major Brent Taylor on his deployment

Taylor spoke with Doug Wright on the Doug Wright Show in January earlier this year and spoke about what it meant for the city to have their mayor deployed.

“I think it’s going to be a great thing for our city,” Major Taylor said. “I think a lot of the citizens, they’re proud to say: ‘Our mayor is doing a job that so many others of different walks of life do as a National Guard members and reservists: step out of that, for a time, when there’s a need for the country.'”

Major Taylor also spoke about the importance of being a public official and the opportunity he had to create awareness for the service members overseas and those serving our country.

“There are thousands of Utah National Guard families that have sent their soldiers overseas or airmen over the years. So, I hope I can just remind people that … there’s so many great service members and guardsmen who are ready to serve our communities and countries at a moment’s notice,” Taylor said. “Focus on them, as well.”

Military officials are still investigating the incident.