It’s a tragedy every time a soldier dies in battle. It means we’ve lost a man or a woman who fought bravely for their country and who we owe a great amount of gratitude to.

It also means that somewhere in the world there are people out there who lost a sister or a brother or a mother or a father or a friend.

It gets even harder when it hits close to home.

On Aug. 22, Staff Sgt. Brian Studer was killed in Ghazni, Afghanistan while serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was raised in Ramsey and graduated from Elk River Senior High School in 1999.

He was born in Austin and has grandparents who still live here.

Today, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has ordered the United States flag and the State of Minnesota flag be flown at half-staff at the State Capitol Complex from sunrise until sunset in honor and remembrance of Staff Sgt. Studer. According to a statement from Gov. Pawlenty’s office, Staff Sgt. Studer was known by his family and friends to be a kind and intelligent man and committed to serving others.

While we did not know Staff Sgt. Studer personally, our thoughts go out to his friends and family, and we are grateful for his service to this country and proud he was born in Austin.