MEDWAY, Mass.—A social scientist from Massachusetts has been killed in Afghanistan, where he was a civilian consultant to the Army on cultural issues.
The Army's Training and Doctrine Command said on Friday that Michael Vinay Bhatia, 31, was killed Wednesday by an improvised explosive in Afghanistan's Khowst province. Two soldiers also died.
Bhatia was working with the 4th Brigade Combat Team of 101st Airborne Division.
He graduated in 1995 from Medway High School, and from Brown University in 1999. He had worked as a humanitarian and researcher in areas such as East Timor and refugee camps in western Algeria.
Bhatia also was an author and photographer, who published photos from his essay, "Shooting Afghanistan -- Beyond the Conflict."
The head of the TRADOC Command, Gen. William Wallace, called Bhatia a hero who "was committed to make things better."
