Loss of a Ranger: Ko Phe
Ko Phe was not a formally trained Ranger. He did not hold an official position within the Free Burma Rangers, but he was a volunteer who regularly accompanied Ranger teams to the front lines, helping evacuate and care for wounded soldiers and civilians. On October 8, 2026, Ko Phe was killed during a series of attacks by the Burma military while helping care for civilian casualties in Mobeye, southern Shan State, Burma.
Ko Phe was born on April 5, 1985. He was the third of six children. His father passed away many years ago, and Ko Phe was never married. Much of his life was spent caring for his mother. Before the military coup in February 2021, he lived in the Naung Yan area of Loikaw, Karenni State, where he worked various small jobs and businesses to support himself and his family.
Following the coup, Ko Phe helped to manage logistics under Karenni National Defense Force Battalion 2. During the 11/11 Operation, he was wounded in the back and spent time recovering at Luka Hospital. Even after being injured, Ko Phe wanted to return to the front lines.
Hla Han, a Ranger who worked closely with Ko Phe, remembered a conversation they had following his injury. Ko Phe wanted to accompany Hla Han to the front lines to help evacuate casualties. Hla Han argued against it, telling him that he had already been injured in the fighting and should not risk getting hurt again. But Ko Phe insisted. He told Hla Han that he was not afraid to die. He wanted to serve his people. From that time forward, Ko Phe regularly accompanied Ranger teams to the front lines. Although he was not formally trained as a Ranger, he was always willing to go when they needed help. Most of his work involved casualty evacuation, going to forward fighting positions to help carry wounded people back to the Ranger medics for treatment. He had no specific assignment or regular position with the Rangers. He simply continued showing up and helping wherever he was needed.
On October 8, 2026, Ko Phe accompanied Hla Han and other Rangers to the front lines in Mobeye, southern Shan State, to help evacuate casualties from the fighting. Shortly after they arrived, the Burma military carried out an airstrike behind their position, near a civilian shop. One civilian was killed and eight others were injured.
Hla Han was called back from the front lines to respond to the civilian casualties. He had two medics with him in his truck, and Ko Phe went back with them. A second truck remained near the front lines to respond to any additional casualties from the fighting. When Hla Han’s team arrived at the site of the airstrike, they found that there were too many casualties for one truck to evacuate. The second truck was called back to help. The teams began treating the wounded, prioritizing evacuating the most seriously injured patients. Ko Phe stayed back with several of the less seriously wounded casualties and a couple of soldiers. While they waited for another truck to return, he continued treating the wounded.
As they waited, the area came under attack again. A suicide drone attacked near the position where Ko Phe and the remaining casualties were sheltering, killing one civilian. An airstrike followed, but no one was injured. Another suicide drone then attacked the area, again without causing additional injuries. Minutes later, the jet returned for another pass. The next bomb did not miss. Ko Phe and one resistance soldier were both killed.
When asked about Ko Phe's legacy, Hla Han struggled to find the words. He said that he felt like he had lost something very important. He remembers Ko Phe's selflessness right up until his death. One of Hla Han's greatest worries following the death of Ko Phe was how he would speak with Ko Phe’s family. He did not know what to say to them or how to explain what had happened. When he finally spoke with the family, however, he found that they understood why Ko Phe had chosen to return to the front lines and why he had given his life. We thank God for Ko Phe and for his courage and relentless desire to serve. We will miss him dearly.
Dave Eubank recalls the last time he spoke with Ko Phe: "I remember Ko Phe was always calm and helpful. He did not attend our training, but was one of the longest-serving Rangers up in Karenni State. I remember when he was wounded and then came right back to offer help and love. The last time we met, he expressed how grateful he was to work with us and help the people. I told him he was very brave, and to let us know how we could help him. He said he was just happy to be helping his people fight for freedom. The loss of Ko Phe hurts all of our hearts. Thank you so much for your love and prayers. We will do our best to take care of his family."
Thanks and God bless you,
The Free Burma Rangers
