QARAGHAHI, AFGHANISTAN — A female U.S. Army combat photographer serving in Afghanistan was killed photographing a training exercise in 2013. Now, the final frame of her work, capturing the final moment of her life, has been released.
Two images featured show the split second a mortar tube accidentally exploded in the midst of live-fire training, as Specialist Hilda Clayton, 22, was training an Afghan National Army Soldier in documenting combat operations. Their last photos, taken mid-blast, were published in the May-June 2017 issue of the Army’s Military Review journal.
Specialist Clayton, the Afghan Army trainee, and three other Afghan soldiers died in the blast. In recognition of her service, An award for the top combat camera submissions was named after her. Her contributions in death have been heralded for showcasing to the world that female soldiers put themselves in life-threatening scenarios more every year, just as their male counterparts do, in defense of their country.
