Second Lt. Michael Goins was born in Springfield, Missouri and grew up in the small northwestern Arkansas town of Oak Grove. He later moved with his family to Kansas where he would graduate as valedictorian of his class at Bonner Springs High School. Excelling in and out of the classroom, he was also an outstanding athlete and captain of his football and basketball teams. This success would translate through his time at Kansas State University, where he would graduate with honors from the ROTC program.

Lt. Goins' friends and family describe him as a young man who was always respected and admired by those who knew him best. In the words of his high school basketball coach, he was determined young man with strong leadership abilities and a solid work ethic who was "the one you want your son to be and the one you want your daughter to marry." And although he was an imposing figure because of his physical stature, he was a loving family man who left a standing order with his florist back home to send flowers to his wife each month and on special occasions. Lt. Goins was assigned to the 1^st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas, and was later deployed to Iraq in January of 2004.

While serving near Najaf as a tank platoon leader, he would also take time to learn Arabic so that he could chat with the young Iraqi children he met on a frequent basis. Tragically, while on patrol on August 15^th, he was killed when a gunman fired shots through his open tank hatch. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Paula; his parents, Jim and Tammy; his sisters, Mandy Kilbourn and Sarah Goins; and with all those who knew and loved him.