FORT CARSON, Colo.—A Fort Carson-based soldier from Wyoming who was killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan was remembered Tuesday as a powerful father figure, not only to his family but to his troops.
Family, friends and fellow soldiers paid their respects to Army Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, 45, of Laramie at a service at Fort Carson on Tuesday.
The 24-year Army veteran and father of two was killed along with two other soldiers and a foreign service officer on Aug. 8 when insurgents detonated suicide vests in Kunar province.
The Riverton High graduate previously served three tours in Iraq and had been deployed to Kuwait and the Balkans.
The Gazette reported ( ) Lt. Col. Scott Mueller said at the memorial service Tuesday that the Army’s culture of structure and discipline were a perfect fit for Griffin, but Griffin also would often joke with his troops.
Mueller remembered how Griffin would suggest a trip to the golf course right when his soldier evaluations were due. And Mueller smirked when Griffin then offered a shot or two of tequila.
“Griff was an inspirational leader, like a father to his troops,” Mueller said. “Kevin always had a way of keeping people focused through laughter.”
Kevin Griffin’s son, Sgt. Dane Griffin, and his nephew Spc. Derek Griffin each joined the military in his footsteps.
“He didn’t want us to go, but he was proud at the same time,” Derek Griffin said.
After the service at Fort Carson, a procession traveled from the Army post outside Colorado Springs to Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver for his burial.
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Information from: The Gazette,
