Jennifer Moreno, a U.S. Army nurse

Today, I’m remembering Captain Jennifer Moreno, a U.S. Army nurse from San Diego who gave her life in Afghanistan in 2013.

Jenny was just 25 and serving her first deployment as part of a Cultural Support Team attached to Army Special Operations. On October 6, during a nighttime raid on a bomb-making compound in the Zhari District, her unit was ambushed. When a fellow soldier was wounded by an IED, Jenny ran to help, knowing the area was rigged with more explosives. She stepped on a hidden device and was killed instantly.

Jenny didn’t have to be there. She volunteered. She chose to serve, to lead, and to care for others—even in the most dangerous conditions.

We don’t say “thank you” lightly. We remember. We honor. And we speak their names. Rest in peace, Capt. Jennifer Moreno