Tom Udall: “In the more than 9 years that our military has been fighting in Afghanistan, thousands of brave men and women have…”

“In the more than 9 years that our military has been fighting in Afghanistan, thousands of brave men and women have volunteered their service to our country. They have sacrificed time with their families, travelled to foreign lands, and put their lives in jeopardy, all in the defense of the ideals we hold dear. This month, New Mexico lost one of those brave soldiers. His name was James Thode. He was a 45-year-old married father of two who had served for 14 years as a police sergeant for the city of Farmington. He was in Afghanistan as a member of the Utah National Guard as a sergeant first class in the 118th Sapper Company. Sergeant Thode was killed by a roadside bomb on December 2 when insurgents attacked his unit in Afghanistan's Khost province. Too often, when we are faced with the loss of one of our brave men or women in uniform, the first thing that is talked about is how they died. A roadside bomb. A firefight with the enemy. Protecting a fellow soldier from harm. That is important. But it is equally important that we remember how they lived. That is what I would like to do today. I want to remember how Sergeant James Thode lived.”