The air was heavy that day - not just from the summer heat, but from the weight of loss that clung to everyone in the room. Families sat close together, shoulders brushing, as if physical proximity could offer some small measure of comfort. Outside the chapel, the faint hum of military vehicles was a distant reminder of the larger conflict at hand. Inside, however, time felt suspended. It was just us, the grieving, and the silence.
Featured in Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Humans of HOA is U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ricardo Ortiz, CJTF-HOA CJ-3 admin NCO, who learned about leadership through volleyball.