In December 2011, the quiet of a guard tower in Afghanistan marked the final moments of U.S. Army Specialist Mikayla Bragg.

Just 21 years old and from Longview, Washington, she was serving in Khowst Province near the Pakistan border, only weeks away from returning home. On December 21, during guard duty, she died in a non-combat incident.

Her passing, days before Christmas , deeply impacted her unit, family, and hometown. Remembered as kind, resilient, and proud to serve, her story reminds us that behind every deployment is a life, a family, and a sacrifice never forgotten.