On January 20, 2009, the newly inaugurated US President, Barack Obama declared a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. Just three days before that single mother's son was inaugurated, a single mother was badly injured in Afghanistan.
Specialist Simone A. Robinson, was hurt when a suicide bomber's vehicle detonated near her security post on January 17th in Kabul, Afghanistan. Some details of the tragedy were discussed in an article about the new president’s chat with Illinois National Guard troops in Afghanistan via a live TV broadcast from Washington DC.
Specialist Simone A. Robinson
Simone Robinson grew up in a section of the Chicago suburbs called Robbins, and graduated in 2005 from Thornton High School in Harvey. She had joined the Illinois Army National Guard in December of 2004, during her senior year of high school. Robinson completed basic training a year later and was assigned to the 634th Brigade Support Battalion of the Illinois Army National Guard, Crestwood, Illinois.
Although assigned to Company G of the 634th in neighboring Crestwood, she deployed in August of 2008 with Company E, a sister unit in the 634th BSB stationed in Joliet. She arrived in Afghanistan December of 2008. It was her first deployment.
The Illinois National Guard has recently sent almost 3,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, the largest deployment for the guard since World War II. US and NATO forces are helping to battle a strengthened militant insurgency in the country
The unit was assigned to protect Camp Eggers and acted as a quick reaction force in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Specialist Robinson was one of five members of the Illinois National Guard injured during a suicide bomber attack on January 17th. Two Afghan civilians died in the blast and 23 were wounded, said General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Defense Ministry spokesman.
The German Embassy shares a narrow road with the US base, Camp Eggers, which serves as the headquarters for soldiers training Afghan police and army personnel. Dozens of Afghan security personnel stand guard there, and blast walls line the road. Windows inside the German compound were shattered in the explosion. A Taliban spokesman said the bomber targeted two vehicles believed to be carrying German military officers.
Robinson was taken to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and later was taken to San Antonio, Texas for treatment. On March 1st, 21-year-old Specialist Simone A. Robinson died at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, from the wounds suffered in Afghanistan.
Specialist Robinson was the eighth Illinois Army National Guard soldier to die as a result of the Afghanistan war in a five-month period. She was the 24th member of the Illinois National Guard to die in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Chicago Breaking News site told of the bombing incident:
Robinson (right) was one of five members of the Guard's 634th Brigade Support Battalion who was wounded Jan. 17 in Kabul, just outside the gate of Camp Eggers there. The injured also included Daniel Acosta, 30, of Whiting Ind.; Aaron Carlson, 20, of Annawan, Ill.; Leigh Herring, 28 of Peoria, and Tyler Keener, 22, of Prairie City, Ill.
They had been providing security for a fuel truck outside the base when a suicide bomber attacked. The explosion trapped Robinson between a burning vehicle and the wall of the compound. She was the most seriously injured, with burns covering half her body, her family said.
According to South Town Star News Robinson was a member of the Illinois Army National Guard's funeral honors detail:
Robinson's commanding officer, First Lt. Beth Roxworthy, will always remember Robinson's smiling face and bubbly personality.
"Her disposition was being happy. She was the type of person who walked into a room and made everyone smile," Roxworthy said.
For the past three or four years, Robinson served on the military funeral and honors detail. A member of her Crestwood unit went to Texas to escort her body home...
Roxworthy said Robinson's devotion to military service was only exceeded by her devotion to her daughter Nyzia. Robinson balanced her National Guard duties with part-time jobs to help provide for the girl, according to Roxworthy.
Specialist Simone A. Robinson is survived by her 2-year-old daughter, Nyzia, her parents and a sister.
Funeral arrangements are being made for this weekend. The Patriot Guard Riders were present at Robinson's deployment ceremony in 2008, and will be attending the wake and the funeral to honor her passing.
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