Local Solider Comes Home from Iraq

The Trumbull Times has up a report on a soldier that came home from Iraq and sat down with his hometown First Selectman. How is this different from any other soldier who came home and had a photo-op with any other random politician? Well, I grew up with this soldier.

Stempien, a Trumbull native and 1995 Christian Heritage School graduate, spent most of the past eight months flying combat support missions in Iraq. Following his visit to town, he said he was heading back to his unit's home base at Camp Pendleton in California...Piloting a Bell AH-1 Super Cobra, Stempien flew close support for the troops on the ground. The Cobras worked in conjunction with jet fighters and unmanned targeting aircraft to assist ground troops in the fighting.
"Our information was very accurate, with all the streets having specific names," Stempien said. "Our guys would radio and tell us that they were taking fire from a building, and we could take it from there."

Brian was a good kid and has grown up into a good man. I am proud to have him serving in Iraq. I know if he was on the ground then the Iraqis not only saw a good soldier, but a man of God who could witness of Christ's love.