Spc. Andrew Velez joined the Army in 2002. He was assigned to the Corps Support Battalion, Theater Support Command, Fort Irwin, Calif. Velez deployed to Iraq in 2003. Then again to Afghanistan in 2006. He died in Sharona, Afghanistan from a non-combat related injury. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge.

“Andrew was a sweetheart. He was a fighter and a loyal friend. He would be your defender and protector. He believed in loyalty. He would be the confidence you needed to finish the fight. He never quit,” remembers his sister Monica Velez.

He is not defined by his death, but by his life. He was a father, a son, a brother, a friend, and a hero. Velez was survived by father, Roy Velez, sister, Monica Velez, and children Jasmine, Jordan, and Jacob Velez.