Brigadier General Terence J. Hildner's father described him as a product of the American melting pot:
“From the Irish side of the family, he inherited a sense of humor and exuberance about life. And from the German side, a singularity of purpose and a very keen analytical mind.”
The Department of Defense has announced the loss of Brigadier General Terence J. Hildner, in Kabul province, Afghanistan.
Terence Hildner, 49, lived an American story. Born in Connecticut, the son of an Air Force officer, he grew up in settings like Colorado and Virginia, Tokyo and Rome, graduating from high school in Alabama.
He went to Notre Dame and joined its ROTC program, becoming part of the active duty Army when he was commissioned in 1984. He began his career as an Armor officer (tanks), becoming a Quartermaster (logistics) in his second decade of service.
He called Fairfax, Virginia, home, although he served around the globe. Indeed, during the last quarter-century, his personal story included some extraordinarily memorable events: he led troops liberating Kuwait from Iraq; he conducted the last American patrol on the border of the two Germanys; he returned to Iraq when his country asked in 2003; he led an effort to provide relief after the trauma of Hurricane Katrina.
In August 2010, he became the commander of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), in Fort Hood, Texas. Six months later, as he was promoted to Brigadier General, he said:
“I serve because of the great Soldiers and leaders in the Army, and it’s a privilege to wear this uniform.”
Last August, the 13th deployed to Afghanistan. This time, their mission would not be supporting American soldiers; this time, the 13th is building and training the Afghanistan Army's logistical system. The mission is critical to enabling the U.S. to withdraw.
Addressing the families of the soldiers he was leading, BG Hildner promised them that he would do his best to keep them all safe:
We'll see you as soon as we possibly can.
He passed away in his sleeping quarters, of apparent natural causes, in Kabul province.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Brigadier General Terence Hildner is remembered, loved, and mourned by his wife, Cindy, his children, Brittany, Julie, Jonathan and Ryan, his parents, Colonel (Ret.) Robert and Susan Hildner, younger siblings Steven and Elizabeth, and other relatives and friends throughout the world.
Merciful and compassionate God,
we bring you our grief in the loss of Terence Hildner
and ask for courage to bear it.
--New Zealand Prayer Book
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Material for this memorials from, among others, Washington Post, the Fort Hood Press Center, and also here, and the Killeen Daily Herald, here and here.
Helping Our Troops
If you wish to assist our military and their families, please consider Fisher House, which provides a place to stay for families near the treatment centers for our wounded veterans.
When our veterans come home, many will need jobs. Please look at the programs of Veterans Green Jobs and Welcome Back Veterans to see if you can help out.
About the IGTNT Series
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our U.S. troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno, and which is maintained by monkeybiz, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, joyful, roses, SisTwo, a girl in MI, Spam Nunn, JeNoCo, Janos Nation, True Blue Majority, Proud Mom and Grandma, Sandy on Signal, CalNM, Ms Wings, maggiejean, racheltracks, ccasas, JaxDem, Ekaterin, TheFatLadySings, and Wide Awake in Kentucky. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died, and show our community’s respect for them.
Fallen service members whose names have been released by the US Department of Defense will usually be diaried two days after the official announcement on the DoD website. This allows the IGTNT team to cover each person more fully, but still in a timely manner.
Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service members mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.