Heroes Half -- 4.29.12 -- Running in Honor of

Air Force Master Sgt Tara R. Brown, who died April 27, 2011 serving in Operation Enduring Freedom. She was 33 years old and on her second deployment to Afghanistan when she died after an Afghan air force officer stormed a training meeting in Kabul and opened fire, killing nine Americans. It was the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan since 2005. She was awarded several medals, including a Purple Heart and Bronz Star, as well as being promoted to the rank of Master Sgt posthumously.

 

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One of the things that is an important part of the weekly Wear Blue group runs is when they spend time calling out the names of the fallen soldiers who died during that week. They post this list online, so if you aren't able to make it to the Saturday run, you can choose someone from the list to honor during your own run. Tara was chosen from this list, for the week of April 27-28, 2001--2011. I chose to honor her, the only female soldier on this particular list.

I have never met this brave woman. But in reading about her, I was struck by how proud her father was of her and her service. She had two brothers who loved her very much. I am grateful for the opportunity to run in her honor and Wear Blue to remember her.