An Airman's Last Full Measure
Today we honored the life of Staff Sergeant Travis Griffin, the second Kirtland Airman to have given his life in the past month during the course of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I did not know SSgt Griffin, but I felt that attending the memorial was a means to start learning about a great Airman and a great person whom I should have known. His selflessness was exhibited by the fact that he had served three prior tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan prior to his final deployment, scheduled to last 365 days. He always wanted to ride in the lead vehicle in the patrol; when he was recuperating from the wound which resulted in his first Purple Heart, his only regret was not being able to patrol with his men.
Staff Sergeant Griffin's personal motto was "Don't sweat the small stuff." His corollary to the motto was "Everything is small stuff." He never lost his perspective on the big picture; he never lost his sense of humor; and most importantly, he never lost his intensity for training the future security forces in both the US Air Force and Iraqi Police.
Tonight we pray for the Lord's strength and blessings to be with SSgt Griffin's widow and son. May their comfort come in knowing that SSgt Griffin had no regrets about his service, gave every ounce of his soul for his nation, and made a lasting impact on the world up to his final moments on this earth.
I did not know SSgt Griffin, but I felt that attending the memorial was a means to start learning about a great Airman and a great person whom I should have known. His selflessness was exhibited by the fact that he had served three prior tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan prior to his final deployment, scheduled to last 365 days. He always wanted to ride in the lead vehicle in the patrol; when he was recuperating from the wound which resulted in his first Purple Heart, his only regret was not being able to patrol with his men.
Staff Sergeant Griffin's personal motto was "Don't sweat the small stuff." His corollary to the motto was "Everything is small stuff." He never lost his perspective on the big picture; he never lost his sense of humor; and most importantly, he never lost his intensity for training the future security forces in both the US Air Force and Iraqi Police.
Tonight we pray for the Lord's strength and blessings to be with SSgt Griffin's widow and son. May their comfort come in knowing that SSgt Griffin had no regrets about his service, gave every ounce of his soul for his nation, and made a lasting impact on the world up to his final moments on this earth.
posted by Mr. X at
10:46 PM
