It is a sad day for us here in Korea. We learned today that a fellow brother-at-arms was killed in Iraq this weekend in the helicopter crash.
Colonel Brian Allgood was my husband's commanding officer until this past summer. We had known the Allgood family since we all served in uniform together at Fort Bragg in 1997 in the 44th Medical Brigade.
COL Allgood was an orthopedic surgeon who had been on the "command track" in Army Medicine. He was a phenomenal doctor and a great human being. It is no doubt that great things were ahead for this talented and dedicated Soldier medic.
My husband will tell you that COL Allgood was a great leader. He gave guidance and then got out of your way so you could do what needed to get done. He was articulate and compassionate.
I knew him as a man who would always take the time to do the right thing. When our daughter was hospitalized last year, he took time out of his day to go to Samsung Medical Center NICU and talk to her doctors personally, so that he could reassure us that everything was going to be okay. And, just this past week, despite fighting a war and being a continent away, he found time to congratulate our friend George on his selection for promotion to Major.
Ultimately, it has been COL Allgood's own words that have returned to comfort me today. He used to say, "At the end of the day, it is what it is," which was his way of telling you that often, you can't change the nature of things. The best you can do is accept them, and keep moving forward.
Sometimes, God calls his Saints home before we are ready to part company with them. Thank you, Lord, for sharing this one with us.
Colonel Brian Allgood was my husband's commanding officer until this past summer. We had known the Allgood family since we all served in uniform together at Fort Bragg in 1997 in the 44th Medical Brigade.
COL Allgood was an orthopedic surgeon who had been on the "command track" in Army Medicine. He was a phenomenal doctor and a great human being. It is no doubt that great things were ahead for this talented and dedicated Soldier medic.
My husband will tell you that COL Allgood was a great leader. He gave guidance and then got out of your way so you could do what needed to get done. He was articulate and compassionate.
I knew him as a man who would always take the time to do the right thing. When our daughter was hospitalized last year, he took time out of his day to go to Samsung Medical Center NICU and talk to her doctors personally, so that he could reassure us that everything was going to be okay. And, just this past week, despite fighting a war and being a continent away, he found time to congratulate our friend George on his selection for promotion to Major.
Ultimately, it has been COL Allgood's own words that have returned to comfort me today. He used to say, "At the end of the day, it is what it is," which was his way of telling you that often, you can't change the nature of things. The best you can do is accept them, and keep moving forward.
Sometimes, God calls his Saints home before we are ready to part company with them. Thank you, Lord, for sharing this one with us.
1 comment:
I had the privilege of serving under COL Allgood while stationed in Korea. We all felt fortunate to work with such a caring and compassionate leader. He looked out for every one of us, and took the time to show it, whether by recognizing personal accomplishments, or by just stopping through our offices at the end of the day to say hello. He was a true soldier, a tireless leader, and a caring physician and family man; his name said it all. He will be missed.
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