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There are moments when politics should stop.
This is one of them.
Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales was 19 years old.
1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan was 25.
Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad was 28.
Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton was 30.
Four Americans. Four warriors. Four families forever changed.
They volunteered to wear our nation's uniform. They accepted the risks that come with military service, and they gave everything in defense of our country. Three were killed in the attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. A fourth was killed in Iraq while carrying out a dangerous mission to safely dispose of a downed Iranian drone. ([CBS News][2])
As a combat veteran, I know that every one of us who deployed understood that possibility. We joked about it. We pushed it to the back of our minds. Then we climbed into the convoy, boarded the aircraft, or stepped outside the wire because the mission still had to be done.
Most Americans will never know their names.
They should.
These weren't just headlines. They were sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, friends, teammates, and fellow warriors. Their families didn't just lose a Soldier. They lost birthdays, holidays, phone calls, weddings, grandchildren, and a lifetime that should have been.
Today, I ask only one thing.
Take a moment. Say their names. Pray for their families. Remember that the freedoms we often take for granted still come at a cost, and sometimes that cost is paid by young Americans with their entire future still ahead of them.
Rest in peace, Pvt. Isabella Gonzales.
Rest in peace, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan.
Rest in peace, Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad.
Rest in peace, Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton.
Your duty is complete.
We have the watch.
We will remember.

Nick Tran 
VFAF National Ambassador 
VFAF Texas State Chapter President