Most of you know, some of you don't.

Kstaley, aka Kori, has passed away. She died on November 8, 2007 in Italy when a black hawk chopper on a routine training mission crashed. She died while trying to save another. I didn't know that she had passed away until 3 days ago. I kept emailing her, trying to talk to her...wondering where she was, why she hadn't called me, or even emailed. Needless to say, so many of us are devastated. She was my best friend. Her and Tricia are the best friends I've ever had. The bond that the three of us have is just amazing. We're sisters.

We had a trip planned. Tricia, Kori and I were all meeting up in Italy in February. She wanted us all to be together for Valentine's day. Doc was coming to Italy too...it was going to be the best time ever. We were going to be staying with her for one whole month. She was pregnant, 3 and a half months, and they never knew if it was a boy or a girl. It makes me sick to know someone who had survived not one, but TWO tours of duty in Iraq had to be taken in an accident when she wasn't even supposed to be on that mission in the first place. She was filling in for another soldier because his daughter was very sick. It's not fair, and I can't accept it. Not yet.

She is buried in Boston, and they had a service for her at Arlington National Ceremony. To me, Kori is Superwoman. She is the person that I want to be most like, and I hope one day I can show somebody, my family and my friends, as much love as she showed me. I'm going to visit her grave, Doc, Tricia and I are all going to try and go. It's a terrible thing that we never got to meet her in person, that we have to stand on her grave to be close to her now. My heart is broken, and I don't know when it will be whole. The last time I talked to her on the phone...we were on three way with Tricia. Kori was telling us how she was buying all this candy, and we had set the date for our trip. She started talking about Doc and I and how we are so meant for each other, and she wanted to be the flower girl at our wedding. I told her no, but told her that she and Tricia were to be the maids of honor and she was SO excited about that. She said it would be the party of a lifetime, and she just couldn't wait. Now she won't get to be my maid of honor, but she will be there. I know that in my heart...I know she's always with me now, looking over me...cussing me out when I do something idiotic. I'm going to miss her so, so much.

I love you, Kori Staley. You're my best friend, my hero, my angel, my mulleteer, and my sister.

Brittany