Loss of a home brewer.

SGT Billings is someone that I didn't have the pleasure to meet, but deployed with my battalion to one of the worst parts of Afghanistan with me in December 2011. My team and I got sent home early in October 2012 and SGT Billings was killed about a week later, after our battalion was moved to a more pacified area. Some of my current soldiers had the chance to work with him. He was a consummate home brewer and was approaching the end of his service in the Army when he died on 13 OCT 12. SGT Billings had already initiated paperwork with the federal government to open a brewery upon his release from the Army.

Though I never met him, he is a colleague on many levels and his death is one of many that effects me and the rest of us, and he is missed. SGT Billings is survived by his wife and 4 children.

http://projects.militarytimes.com/valor/army-sgt-robert-j-billings/6568366

I thank you, Sgt Billings, and the rest of your unit for your service.

RIP Brother, your service, friendship and Honor will never be forgotten!!!

Now, lets brew some new recipes and name them after him!! I will make (and fail) my first all grain this weekend for you!

I salute you. And best to his family and friends.

I meet with some friends on Friday night and I will raise a glass to him in honor

Damn that sucks. Did you just find out today through some friends?

I tried to go to Afghanistan a few years ago through work as a civilian contractor but never got approved, place can seem so well then change in a heartbeat.

I hope the family is doing well. Prayers for them and all service members.

Thanks for the information, and also reminding me of the website. Not to take away from this thread, I went back to the website and remembered one of my high school classmates, Army Spc. Antoine J. McKinzie, was killed by a sniper in 2006, just a few months after I was returning from Iraq.

Great site. Greater soldiers. We should remember our fallen.

I attended his memorial service back in October and his closest friends spoke about him. One of them was his brewing partner and was going to open the brewery with him. I had moved on from it, but a soldier I work with now started talking to me about him a few days ago, because of my home brewing and reminded me all about it. So it's been on my mind ever since.

What a shame. Memorial Day is coming up next month, let's not take it for granted.

KayaBrew said:

What a shame. Memorial Day is coming up next month, let's not take it for granted.

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I'm thinking of an American Stout recipe soon and if it turns out any good, I'll post it here for SGT Billings.