The past week has been a tough week for the 603rd MP Company and the entire 603rd family. When a soldier makes the ultimate sacrifice for his country its affects everyone. The 603rd lost a great soldier this past week. A soldier who taught so many of the younger men how to be a great soldier. I know how much he meant to Andrew and how much Andrew looked up to him, I know they all must feel that same. It's time when you can feel their hurt and their pain from so far away that you wish you could do something, anything, to make it go away.
I had the pleasure of meeting SFC Rhea and his wife at the first yellow ribbon event back in September. I'll never forget the advice his wife, Leah, gave me on how to make deployment seem to go by faster. I'm thankful I had her to talk to when I was so nervous about this whole deployment thing. When she told me, "They'll be ok, they're good soldiers." I never been more sure of it then in that moment.
I'm thankful that Andrew had such a soldier to look up to and such great guidance. As the Rhea family and the 603rd family mourn the loss of a husband, father, friend, and soldier, I ask that that everyone keeps them all in your prayers. There will be struggles along the way, but the brotherhood they have formed will help pull them all through.
"All sacrifice some, some sacrifice all." SFC Rhea, we will forever be in your debt. We are more than thankful to you for your service to this country. God Bless the Rhea family.
