ROSWELL, NM, USA U.S. Army SPC, COMPANY C, 2D BATTALION, 12TH INFANTRY, 2 BCT, FORT CARSON, CO BAGHDAD, IRAQ 12/13/2007
Brynn Joel Naylor was born in Roswell, NM on December 2, 1986. He was raised by his mother in Shallowater, Texas, but finished high school in Roswell. Upon graduation in 2005, he enlisted in the US Army. He completed Basic Training at Fort Benning, GA in December of 2005 and was assigned to 2-12 INF stationed at Fort Carson, CO. He was deployed to Iraq in October of 2006. They were due home in October 2007, but received a duty extension, keeping them there through December.
Brynn’s army family tells me that Brynn was very encouraging even in the tough times that they faced. He would often challenge them to “do what we came here to do”. He would tell them, “I’m not afraid to do this because if something happens to me, I know where I’m going.” It was his causal way of telling them about his Christian faith. He was making plans to go ‘green-to-gold’ and wanted to become an Army Chaplain.
He re-enlisted the night of December 12th to begin the path of working toward becoming an officer, required in becoming a Chaplain. The next morning, December 13th, three days from leaving Iraq, they were completing their final day of guard duty in a tower that they had been securing. Brynn went up into the tower, making his radio analysis of the situation he saw – some firing in the distance that they had been aware of. He was asked what he wanted for breakfast and radioed his reply. Not five minutes later, when the food was delivered to him, he was found KIA by a sniper’s bullet.
His First Sergeant has told us that before they left Iraq they knew who had killed Brynn because the sniper bragged to an informant. We have also been told that the man was caught and probably received the death penalty under Iraqi law due to the number of witness that he bragged to. I am thankful that there are some Iraqis who helped our guys and were able to help identify that sniper. Now he can not harm other soldiers. Brynn is buried in Texas, next to his maternal grandfather.
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