Claes Joachim Olsson

Claes Joachim Olsson (born March 20, 1987 in Lysekil in Sweden, died January 25, 2010 in Afghanistan) was a soldier in the Norwegian army. He served at the Telemark Battalion in the Norwegian ISAF force in Afghanistan, where he was affiliated with the Norwegian stabilization force PRT-14 in Maymana.
He was killed by a roadside bomb in Ghowrmach district of Afghanistan. Joachim was born in Sweden and both his parents were Swedish. His parents divorced, and he remained with his mother. Joachim joined the military forces in 2007.
Joachim was doing a routine mission when his CV90 storm tank hit a roadside bomb. He was the fifth Norwegian serving soldier to be killed in Afghanistan. Two of his friends were in the tank when they hit the roadside bomb; they only received slight injuries.
Olsson was killed on 25 January 2010 when his CV9030N storm tank drove in a roadside bomb four kilometers southeast of Ghowrmach in northern Afghanistan. The Taliban, according to Aftenposten have claimed responsibility for the incident.
Biography
Olsson was born on 20 March 1987 in Lysekil in Sweden but raised in Gressvik outside Fredrikstad in Østfold County. In January 2007 he started his service in the Panserbataljonen (Armored Battalion) of the Norwegian Army in Indre Troms. From September 2008 he served in the Telemark Battalion.
In December 2009 arrived Olsson Afghanistan with the stabilization force PRT-14, where he served as the driver of CV9030F1 storm tank in Meymaneh.
Death
Olsson was killed on 25 January 2010 when his CV9030F1 storm tank drove in a roadside bomb southeast of Ghowrmach in northern Afghanistan Monday morning.
Olsson took the charioteer on a CV9030F1 storm tank in a column of 11 vehicles and 40 Norwegian soldiers accompanying infantry unit from the Telemark battalion on an operation in Ghowrmach district. The soldiers were on their way to meet soldiers from the Afghan army to conduct joint patrols in the area. Opprag force was to operate as partners for the Afghan army, maintaining security on the ring road which is the main traffic artery in the area and to maintain the ISAF presence in this area. Ghowrmach district is characterized by much activity from Taliban insurgents and criminals.
The time 09:46 local time (06:16 Norwegian time) drove Olssons storm tank on a buried veisidebombe around four kilometers southeast of Ghowrmach. The explosion killed Olsson instantly and injured two other soldiers who were in the same vehicle. Shortly after the explosion the deceased together with the two injured were evacuated by the stabilization force's helicopter to Maymana.
General Harald Sunde stated that: "My thoughts and my deep sympathy goes primarily to the family and the closest that today has suffered an indescribable loss. My thoughts are also with the soldiers who were injured, the department has lost a valuable member, the fellow soldiers who have lost a friend and for all Norwegian soldiers in Afghanistan as NOK again is reminded of the assignment of severity. "
His Majesty King Harald V also sent a condolence telegram, in which he expressed his sympathy to Olsson's relatives.
Lt. Col. Rune Solberg, commanding officer of Telemark Battalion since April 2008, said that "We feel strongly, strongly involved in what happened," and went on to say that "We in TMBN see this as a cowardly attack, carried out by the wretched creatures that do not have other means to turn to than this.
Feltprest Peter Wilhelmsson in Camp Rena mentioned Olsson as an "exceptionally skilled warrior." He further said that "It is not skryteord, for he was truly a good man. He was very conscientious and took great responsibility both for training, equipment and comrades. He was a very good human being who shared of himself."
On 27 January 2010, United States Defense SecretaryRobert Gates took the opportunity at the beginning of a meeting with Norwegian Under Secretary of Defense Grete Faremo to express his sympathy with the relatives and Norway for the loss they suffered.

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