Robert deployed to Iraq in December of 2005, and spent a year there. During that time, he came home on mid-deployment leave the end of March and took the family to the Renaissance Festival. We all had a great time. The second week of his leave, he flew to Guam, where Ashley was deployed, and the two of them spent their honeymoon on Guam's beaches.

Robert's unit was near Baghdad, and Robert spent much of his time training the Iraqi police and patroling the streets. The work was tough, the hours were long, and the heat was almost unbearable sometimes, but like the rest of his comrades, Robert did his duty with honor.

In October, Robert pulled duty escorting a convoy to Balad Air Base, north of Baghdad, where Ashley was deployed, and they got to spend three days together.

Robert returned to the United States December 11, with the first group of his unit to return home, and spent the next week unpacking, cleaning, and stowing gear they had taken with them. Robert flew home Friday, December 16, to pick up his brand new pickup he had ordered while he was overseas. I had received it for him, and I met him at the airport in it and gave him the keys. Robert was like a man on a mission, running 90 miles an hour that week-end. At some level, he must have known his time was short. Incredibly, he managed to visit everyone he knew, and even stopped by his old high school.

Monday, Robert headed back to his base. He was going to go to work that week, and then he was flying home for Christmas that week-end. His ticket was already bought and paid for. Monday night, he stayed at Ashley's apartment, even though she was still in Iraq. Tuesday, he continued on his journey, in a blinding thunderstorm. Just the day before, this same storm had dropped so much snow it shut down Denver International Airport. I guess we will never know exactly what happened that afternoon. Robert was having flashbacks and nightmares, not sleeping well, and was still on overload from deployment. Whatever the reason, Robert was involved in a one-car rollover in Eastland, Texas, and died en route to the hospital. As his Dad put it, "Robert may not have died in Iraq, but Iraq killed Robert."

While he was home, Robert told me that he was only going to talk about his experiences in Iraq for about a week, and then he wasn't going to talk about them any more, so if I had any questions, ask them now. Prophetic words. So I asked him just how many times his life was in immediate, imminent danger. He kind of frowned and said, "Ooh, I am going to have to get back to you on that one, Mom." During the rest of the day, I saw him counting. He would say, "there's another one." The next day, he came to me and said, as near as he could remember, thirty-six times. Thirty-six times this Hero laid his life on the line to defend his country and his fellow Soldiers. I can recall three of them that he told me about.

Robert and his team had been on night patrol at a check station on the streets of Baghdad. An oncoming vehicle's headlights lit up a group of insurgents sneaking up on them. Robert saw the insurgents, alerted his team, and led an assault against the insurgents before they could launch their attack, and killed several insurgents. He didn't give me many details, but Robert's alertness that night undoubtedly saved his life and/or the lives of the men in his unit.

Robert was on patrol one day when an IED blew up, damaging their Humvee and wounding his gunner. Robert ordered the vehicle abandoned and, dragging their wounded comrade, Robert and his driver, Matt, fled through the streets, returning fire on the insurgents as they went. Robert heard the sound of an incoming rocket, and threw his gunner and his driver on the ground, covering them with his own body as the debris from the blast littered their bodies.

Robert was out on patrol with his unit one day when a sniper put a bullet through the neck of his best friend, who was walking next to him, killing him almost instantly. The sniper managed to shoot one more member of their patrol before they could manage to take cover, but the second Soldier was only wounded, as the hasty shot hit his kevlar.

Robert was well known by his buddies for his alertness, his attention to duty, his concern for his "joes", and his sense of humor. As his driver said at his funeral, "Robert always wore his night vision goggles, even in the daytime, because he said if anything happened, he wanted to be ready." Robert is my Hero, and I am so proud of him.

“Sgt. Eppich was a quiet professional that will be missed and never forgotten by his “Shadow Warrior” family,” said Captain Robert Rodock, 204th MP Co. commander.

Robert was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal posthumously.