Erik Samsel Kristensen (March 15, 1972 – June 28, 2005) was a lieutenant commander of the United States Navy SEALs who was killed in action during Operation Red Wings. He and several other SEALs set off as part of a search and rescue mission, hoping to assist a four-man SEAL team that was engaged in a firefight with Taliban fighters.
The Pakistan Army or Pak Army (Urdu: پاک فوج, romanized: Pāk Fauj, pronounced [ˈpaːk fɔːdʒ]) is the land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the supreme commander of the army. As of the 2025 reforms, the Pakistan Army is commanded by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), a position held concurrently by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is typically a four-star general. The Army was officially established in August 1947 after the Partition of India. According to statistics provided by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in 2025, the Pakistan Army has approximately 660,000 active duty personnel, supported by the National Guard and the Civil Armed Forces.In accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistani citizens can voluntarily enlist in military service as early as age 17, but cannot be deployed for combat until age 18.
The primary objective and constitutional mission of the Pakistan Army is to ensure the national security and national unity of Pakistan by defending it against external aggression or the threat of war. It can also be requisitioned by the Pakistani federal government to respond to internal threats within its borders. During national or international calamities or emergencies, it conducts humanitarian rescue operations at home and is an active participant in peacekeeping missions mandated by the United Nations (UN). Notably, it played a major role in rescuing trapped American soldiers who had requested the assistance of a quick reaction force during Operation Gothic Serpent in Somalia. Pakistan Army troops also had a relatively strong presence as part of a UN and NATO coalition during the Bosnian War and the larger Yugoslav Wars.