Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007

S.C. Guard member killed

Latta man is first 218th Brigade member to die in Afghanistan

Updated 3:46 p.m.
KABUL, Afghanistan – A S.C. National Guard soldier, who was just two months away from heading home, died in a humvee accident near Kandahar.

Killed was Sgt. Edward Philpot, 38, of Latta. He was a member of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 263rd Armored Regiment at Mullins.

Philpot, who’s survived by his wife and three daughters, is the first member of the S.C. Guard’s 218th Brigade Combat Team to die in Afghanistan. He’s also the 14th member of the Kabul-headquartered Task Force Phoenix to die since June. The S.C. Guard brigade heads the task force, responsible for training the Afghan army and police.

“We will miss Sgt. Philpot,” 218th commander, Brig. Gen. Bob Livingston, said at Thursday’s memorial service at Camp Phoenix. “He is part of our family.”

The fatal accident happened about 7 a.m. Tuesday when a humvee Philpot was in went off a road and rolled over. A second service member, whose identity is being withheld, was injured.

The humvee was part of a convoy that was moving soldiers and gear to a new base in the southern part of Afghanistan. The accident happened about 21 miles northwest of Kandahar Airfield. Kandahar is about 400 miles from Kabul.

Philpot was one of 200 troops of the Mullins unit, which arrived here in January. The unit is scheduled to return home in December.

“It’s tough, it’s really tough,” said Spc. Robert Berry, who lived just a block away from Philpot in Latta.

“We spent three months together at Camp Shelby. We were together the first six to seven months here at (Camp) Phoenix,” said Berry, who attended Thursday’s twilight service. “It’s really hard to have to be right here again.”

The Mullins’ troops initially provided base security and patrolled the area surrounding Camp Phoenix, the task force’s headquarters on Kabul’s eastern outskirts.

After the remainder of the brigade arrived in mid-May, most of the troops in the Mullins’ unit – including Philpot – were reassigned to the country’s southern and eastern provinces.

Philpot joined the Guard in 2001 and was promoted to sergeant while in Afghanistan. A scout in the armor unit, Philpot handled a number of jobs from gunner, driver and humvee commander, to mentoring Afghan forces, his friends said.

Philpot’s buddies said he was a quiet, devout man who never swore, kept a cool head, and always had a smile.

And he loved being a soldier, said Sgt. Kenneth Page, of Dillon.

“He was one of the most dedicated men you’d ever see,” Page said. “He always liked to hang around at the armory even when it wasn’t drill weekend. He just liked to be there.”

Spc. Kyle Kimbro, of Florence, recalled that Philpot was the first soldier to welcome him to the scout platoon. What he remembers most about Philpot, Kimbro said, was the soldier’s devotion to his wife and family.

“I remember when we deployed to Camp Shelby and seeing him with his wife and three little girls,” Kimbro said. “He was holding the baby, who was probably no more than two months old at the time. He talked about his family all the time.”

Philpot was one of several dozen S.C. soldiers who made a video greeting to his family, which is posted here.

During the 12-second segment, Philpot introduced himself and said: “I’d like to say hello to my wife, Stephanie, and my three beautiful daughters. Thank you.”

He finished with a quick smile, stepped forward slightly and walked off camera.

Get The State newspaper delivered to your home. Click here to subscribe.