[gsxrken]

My sister dated a fine young Army aviator Clayton Carpenter (160th SOAR… if you know, you know). After several OIF deployments, he lost his life stateside in a training flight due to a missing cotter pin on the tail rotor. He was credited for putting down the helo in a manner that saved his crewmates.

To that point, peacetime and/or training deaths on CONUS are their own special twist on Hell. Family is sitting there grateful their son is not deployed and they still get the knock on the door. Unfathomable. And it’s often something stupidly avoidable. Every year for the 4 years my son was at West Point, a cadet died for one reason or another. Whenever there was a communications blackout the whole community braced for impact. Each time, after the parents had been notified and officials released the names, I felt guilty for the relief that washed over me when it wasn’t my son. They were all our sons.