Last week at Ft. Lewis, Max had a rehearsal for his unit's welcome home/change of command/awards ceremony. He said we should "come by and check it out," and asked if I could bring some paperwork he had forgotten that morning. So, my friend Kristin and I did...we didn't know it would be a 2 hour rehearsal...at which there were no other civilians.

There were several soldiers in uniform standing near us watching the soldiers practice what would be a major event the next day. We befriended one of them who was standing near us after we asked him how long he thought the rehearsal would last. This, of course, began a whole series of other questions we had about what we were watching...all of which he politely answered.

We didn't know anything about him other than his last name, "Brown," which was on his uniform.

I explained, as the rehearsal was wrapping up, that I had to give my husband some papers he asked me to bring. He asked who my husband was and when I told him, he said Max was his Company Commander. We all had formally introduced ourselves by now.

When Kristin and I saw Max after the rehearsal, we told him that we met Jarrett Brown. Max smiled and said, "Staff Sergeant Brown, he's in my company; he's receiving a Silver Star tomorrow."

A Silver Star is the 3rd highest military decoration there is - The Silver Star is awarded to a person who, while serving in any capacity with the U.S. Army, is cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

We stood with Jarrett Brown for a while at that rehearsal and he didn't mention a thing about his award...even when we asked him what kinds of things would take place during the actual ceremony.

Needless to say, at the event the next day, Kristin and I found him and congratulated him. We even forced him to take a picture with each of us. His family wasn't able to be there for his big day so we felt like we needed to be those embarrassing family members who don't stop taking pictures.

Staff Sergeant Jarrett Brown received the Silver Star for heroic action last August in a firefight in Afghanistan. As he was awarded his medal, his acts of heroism were explained in detail. You can't begin to imagine all that this brave man did.

I feel privileged to know him.