Soldier Honored: Matthew D. Huston

Army Specialist Matthew D. Huston, 24, of Athens, Ga., was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, with the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, N.C. On March 1, 2010, during his second deployment to Afghanistan, SPC Huston and one other soldier were killed when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire and rocket propelled grenades.

Huston and his wife were living in Athens before he enlisted as an infantryman with the Army in February of 2007.  He attended One Station Unit Training and Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga. After graduation, he reported to Fort Bragg, N.C. His first deployment to Afghanistan was in 2007-2008. It was during his second deployment that he made the ultimate sacrifice.

Soldiers with the 4th Brigade Combat Team remembered Huston and Crumpler as hardworking and dedicated. SPC Huston’s awards and decorations include an Army Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Basic Parachutist Badge.

His wife is a Folds of Honor scholarship recipient.