FORT BENNING, Ga., (May 11, 2016) -- "He was just the kind of person that you wanted to be," Chuck Clifford said of his friend and former fellow Soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Lance S. Cornett.
Family and friends of Cornett gathered at the Reconnaissance and Security Compound on May 3 to watch 3rd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Brigade, dedicate the compound to the memory of Cornett, who was killed in action February 3, 2006.
Cornett was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a special operations team member when he sustained lethal injuries while engaging in a firefight with the enemy. Cornett was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, the Purple Heart and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Cornett passed away at the age of 33, leaving behind his wife, three children and his mother.
Of all the compounds that could be dedicated to Cornett, this one seemed especially fitting, said Douglas Ray, who also served with Cornett.
"He always wanted to be better; he wanted to make everyone else want to be better. And with his name on this compound now, that truly is what it is. It's a place where people come to get better, become better Soldiers," said Ray.
Ray added that even though Cornett seemed to find success naturally, he never stopped encouraging his peers to achieve their best.
"You couldn't tell by looking at him, but Lance was a machine. Not everyone could do what Lance could do physically: he was amazing in the water as a combat diver; he could swim faster than anyone I'd ever seen," said Ray. "When you were around him, he made you want to (be better), like you could. That was the best thing about him, because he was incredibly humble. You couldn't do what he was doing, but you wanted to. I'd follow that dude into hell with gasoline drawers on."
Despite Cornett's success, he maintained a quiet professionalism that earned him respect, Clifford said, describing Cornett with words such as humble, quiet and professional.
Cornett's military training speaks to the standard Cornett held himself to. Cornett volunteered for every school he could, with schools ranging from Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course, Special Forces Supervisor Course, Sapper Leader, to Ranger School, among many other schools.
"You're looking at someone who mastered the fundamentals, that accepted all challenges, that put himself in the challenges, that put himself in the toughest jobs, the most demanding schools and did well," said Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Metheny, Maneuver Center of Excellence command sergeant major.
While addressing the Family of Cornett, Metheny said that he hopes all Soldiers who come through Camp Cornett look to Cornett as a role model.
"We understand some things transcend individuals and freedom is not free," said Metheny. "So I thank you for your sacrifice, I thank you for your commitment, and I am so excited to honor his memory with this compound in the hopes that every reconnaissance leader who comes through here takes a little bit of Lance Cornett with him and makes us a stronger Army."
The courses that will be taught at Camp Cornett are the Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course, Army Reconnaissance Course, Dismounted Counter-IED Master Trainer, and Advanced Situational Awareness Course.
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