Army Sgt. 1st Class Lane was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; his specialty was demolition. On August 28, Lane fell approximately 25 feet while quick rappelling down a rope from a hovering helicopter during a nighttime combat assault infiltration into a known enemy cave complex in Afghanistan. His former team members say that Lane may have lost contact with the rope because of gusty winds and turbulence, falling onto a rock and hitting his neck below the edge of his helmet. He never regained consciousness. He died on August 29, 2003. Mitch's passion and interest in serving in the military started early. At the age of 8, he started a scrapbook that included an Army recruitment advertisement, a U.S. Navy brochure and his application to begin hunter safety training at the age of 13. At 16, he added motorcycles to his list of passions. Mitch was in great shape. He could swim 50 meters under water in a single breath and finish up with, 'What's next, dude?' He loved big explosions. One time when they destroyed a massive cache of Taliban ammunition in Afghanistan, they prepared the detonation, and then took cover about a mile away. The ground trembled and debris fell around them. Mitch laughed so hard he fell off the bumper of the truck. Mitch also loved microbrewery beer and good music. But his greatest achievement was his family - his wife, Gina, and his two children. Lane had not been scheduled to participate in the mission the night of August 28, 2003, and was expected to return home by October 1, 2003, or sooner if a military plane was available. His dedication to the men he was training prompted him to accompany the team. "I want to go out and help them," Lane reportedly told his commander the evening of the assault. Lane was awarded a posthumous Purple Heart at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., adding to a long list of medals earned during his 12-year military career.