The Story:
In a war zone, daily missions vary as much in number as they do in type. On March 15, 2005, Staff Sgt. Koele and his squad had just finished their patrol for the day in the western province of Herat, Afghanistan, when they received a call for help. Afghans nearby were drowning in a river. The squad quickly responded, assisted the drowning Afghans, and returned to base--only to learn that another patrol needed help in the nearby town of Parmakaan. Koele immediately went back to work, planning routes and organizing his squad for a third mission that day. Yet, despite the best planning, Koele’s squad could not anticipate the landmines that had been buried just outside the town. As they approached Parmakaan, Koele’s vehicle hit one of the landmines. The blast severely injured him, and he died the following day. Koele was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart in March 2005.