Retired US Trooper First Class Paul Protzenko died in Afghanistan 9th July 2011 while working for a private contracting firm training Afghan police.
The 47-year-old former Connecticut State Trooper retired in 2009 after 20 years service working for the state police. Prior to that, he had served in the US Army.
I knew Paul Protzenko, having worked with him at the Connecticut State Police at Troop "H." He was a great Trooper, and more importantly, a very nice person. He also did an excellent job as a Law Enforcement Professional (LEP) embedded with a US Army Infantry Battalion in Afghanistan. He will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family, may God Bless his soul and grant him his place in Heaven.
ReplyDeleteI had the great pleasure to meet and work with Paul at Panjshir PRT. God bless his soul and his dear family. I was shocked and I am very upset, I am left with anger at what this war is, so unfair to US and coalition troops.
ReplyDeleteI got to know Paul our team member of Panjshir PRT in conversations and discussions in trying to connect all dots in security matters. Paul, another contractor and I discussed many aspects of our work in Afghanistan specially in Panjshir Province. With police work Paul was very in depth and is a great American hero. He had a great understanding of what is at hand. He was a fine and brave law enforcement Professional embedded with Panjshir PRT Police Officer training team, doing his best to build a nation's police force in Panjshir Province. He and his partner worked very hard often leaving the PRT at late hours on a a short notice to attend important events that had just happened in the Province. Forever, I am honored to have known and served with Officer Paul Protzenko.
I wish his family all the best. I am so sorry. The world has just lost a great guy. Lord keep him with you forever. Indeed we are very sad losing two of our finest in that day; killed in action with Paul was also SFC Terryl Pasker and yet a 3rd injured US soldier. This soldier as a result of his actions with multiple bullet wounds caused from the Afghan assailant, succeeded to shot and kill the Afghan rogue security police officer and subsequently saving, American law enforcement officer, two Afghan linguists and his own life.
This is a great example of; The Mission, The Men and Me.
CPT G, civil affair, Panjshir PRT