'You kept us from falling apart'

Image courtesy: U.S. Army

On March 1, Spc. Ian Gelig was on the Tarnak River Bridge in Kandahar, Afghanistan, when a terrorist rammed a car filled with explosives into his convoy. The 25-year-old soldier was killed and the important bridge badly damaged.

In the two weeks since the attack, which the distracted American media mostly ignored, the full story of Spc. Gelig's sacrifice is coming together. The Canadian Press reports that the key bridge is being rebuilt, while author and former Green Beret Michael Yon is asking tough questions about the attack, so the American and Canadian militaries can learn from the incident. Most importantly, however, a portrait of a brave, dedicated soldier is emerging that cannot be overlooked.

According to The Contra Costa Times, Gelig, of Stevenson Ranch, California, joined the military in 2006. The Fayetteville Observer reports he deployed to Kuwait in 2007 and served there for over a year. Gelig was then transferred to the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division, and left for Afghanistan in the summer of 2009. His loving parents and sisters are mourning his death, while his high school observed a moment of silence in the fallen hero's honor. Fellow soldiers who knew Gelig are lining up to praise him as a loyal friend and caring person. One quote in particular caught my eye:

"Gelig will always be with us," Pvt. Antonio Santos, a paratrooper from Alpha Company, said in [a Fort Bragg press] release. "From the day you arrived, you touched everyone's heart. You made us laugh, you made us smile, and you kept us from falling apart."

We all wish Spc. Ian Gelig did not die on that bridge. Yet had he not been there, more civilians may have died in the attack, and even more damage could have been done to the critical structure that coalition troops clearly need in order to prevail in the south. Pvt. Santos couldn't be more correct: this brave young man kept us from falling apart. And even in the wake of tough questions surrounding this tragic incident, we honor Spc. Ian Gelig's proud legacy by standing together.