Fallen Friends

"Today the soldiers of the Nightstalker Battalion closed ranks with the Tusker Battalion to say our final farewells to three fallen heroes. 1SG Alan Gifford, SGT Matthew Deckard, and SPC David Ford fought side by side with the Nightstalkers, and their unflinching courage earned them the respect and admiration of every man lucky enough to work with them. 1SG Gifford was the kind of NCO that inspired confidence in his men, a Gulf War veteran who was as resilient as the M1 tanks his soldiers crewed. SGT Deckard was also a seasoned veteran, using the lessons he learned in OIF I to better prepare his crew for the trials of combat. SPC Ford was on his first combat deployment, and had just celebrated his 20th birthday – but his dedication to duty and consummate professionalism would have shamed men twice his age. They were the kind of men you wanted backing you up when the chips were down. And time and again they were."
365 and a Wakeup