In Iraq 2005, every building you went to on a military installation had a poster, every dining hall had a table setting, and we watched as periodically someone would place a piece of tape with a new rank for Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin, a Private First Class when he was captured in 2004 as his convoy was ambushed west of Baghdad.

Last month Maupin’s remains were recovered almost 4 years to the day of his disappearance. Also last month Sgt. Kent Maupin, Matt’s younger brother, reenlisted in the Marines. This brings one story to an end, and adds a new beginning for another. As of yet, very few details have been released about what happened to Matt Maupin.

I can’t imagine what the family is going through, nor the amount of pride and committment that Kent Maupin feels in his duty. I admire him for his convictions, as I know they would not be my own. I only wish for his safety and well being in the future, where ever it may take him. And for the whole family, perhaps a sense of closure as finally they can lay their son to rest.

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