Spc. Rachael L. Hugo Tribute

From the Department of Defense:

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Rachael L. Hugo, 24, of Madison, Wis., died Oct. 5 in Bayji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her unit using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire.

She was assigned to the 303rd Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve, Jackson, Mich.

From JSonline:

 
Madison - When Spc. Rachael L. Hugo was home on leave in May, she sat down by a campfire in her father's backyard and told him she had something for him.

The medic reached into her pocket and removed an Army honors coin she received for saving a sergeant's life in Iraq in February. She told her dad, Kermit Hugo, she had carried it with her ever since then to make sure she didn't misplace it before she had a chance to give it to him.

"She said, 'Dad, I got something for you,' and she pulled that coin out of her pocket," Kermit Hugo said Monday.

On Friday, Rachael Hugo found herself in a similar situation to the one in February, but with much different results.

Hugo, 24, of Madison, was killed when she went to help injured colleagues after they were hit by an improvised explosive device and came under small-arms fire in Bayji, north of Baghdad. She was deployed just over a year ago and was expected to return home in November.

Hugo's family members gathered at the Army Reserve Center to speak publicly Monday about her life for the first time since she died.

"She saw death, destruction, despair - and a lot of good things, too," said Kermit Hugo. "Despite it all, she always kept her head held high."

He said she was a dedicated soldier who made it clear to her family that she loved what she did. Early in her deployment, she sent an e-mail that said, "This is what I choose to do, and being a medic is what I live to do."

Her mother, Ruth, said: "She felt that was her niche in life, helping people. She wanted to serve her country."

At one point, Kermit Hugo addressed his daughter directly during the news conference.

"Rachael, I have always told you that you needed to be an asset to society, not a detriment, and to give back to your community," he said. "And you didn't disappoint me. You gave the ultimate sacrifice for your country, for your family's freedom, and we'll be forever in your debt."

Hugo was a member of the Army Reserve's 303rd Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade in Jackson, Mich.

Army officials said that there will be an investigation to determine exactly what killed Hugo.

Seventy-nine Wisconsin residents have now died as a result of service in Iraq or associated duties in Iraq. Another six Wisconsin residents have died as a result of service in Afghanistan.