Heroes Everywhere

Army Cpt Stacy Mitchell was my first hero of the day when I went into Iraq. She is a member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Comat team with the 21st Signal Company, deployed to a Forward Operating Base called Courage. She was returning from a four day pass in Southwest Asia. Prior to that, she had been in Iraq since August of 2005. She is a platoon leader and an XO who provides communication reach back capabilities for surrounding units. On top of all that, she is married and has two kids! Another six months for this world class lady – my heart goes out to you and your family!

Just when I thought I had the hero of the day, I met Will Tyred Moore, an Army soldier whose vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb (IED) in Iraq. He was a patient on our plane. Another hero in my midst. Fortunately, all of Moore’s team survived the attack, but it was a cruel reminder of how dangerous the Iraqi insurgents can be.