COLUMBUS, Ga. — The deaths of three Army reservists from Georgia hits especially hard at Fort Moore.
All three soldiers were stationed at the Army installation just outside Columbus.
The fort was known as Fort Benning until last year.
When the close-knit military community around the fort loses a soldier, it’s like losing a member of the family.
Fort Moore and Columbus have shared a bond for more than a century. When soldiers don’t come home, the whole community shares the pain.
Specialist Kennedy Sanders, Sergeant William Jerome Rivers, and Specialist Breonna Moffett were all killed over the weekend by a drone attack in Jordan.
All of them were called to duty at Fort Moore.
Katie Thomas manages a store just outside the Army post.
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“It’s sad. It’s tragic. Young people giving up their lives every day for it,” Thomas said.
She told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims that the deaths underscore the dangers those in uniform confront every day.
And their sacrificial love of country.
“Did it really hit home for you, knowing that they came from Fort Moore?” Mims asked Thomas.
“It does. They’re part of our community,” Thomas said.
It’s the community state Sen. Ed Harbison calls home, too.
He said the U.S. must have a strong response to this attack that killed his fellow Georgians, his neighbors.
“Just hopefully and prayerfully, we will make a difference by not making their lives be in vain -- make it count for something with the proper decision and retaliation that’s needed,” Harbison said.
Gov. Brian Kemp spoke words of gratitude about the reservists.
“On behalf of a grateful Georgia, we appreciate their service to our state and nation,” Kemp said.
Around Fort Moore and Columbus, the loss of the three soldiers leaves a deep wound.
For Captain David Chung, they were comrades. He didn’t know them, but they -- like him -- answered the call to serve. They -- like him -- found a home at Fort Moore.
“It’s a sad day for anybody dying really. And then especially for the people who actually participated or lived in the community, I think it’s really sad for the community in general,” Chung said.
Fort Moore was established as Fort Benning more than a century ago and now has nearly 13,000 active-duty soldiers.
They are an integral, and revered, part of the community, standing ready to answer the nation’s call.
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