CW2 Jennifer C. Hunter
December 21, 1978 - June 27, 2015
"Anyone who knew our daughter, CW2 Jennifer C. Hunter, could describe a woman with a loving energy who cherished her family, always showed a zest for life with her laughter and sense of humor, had a genuine smile that was contagious, made it easy for others to relate to her with her authentic personhood, consistently showed care and thoughtfulness for others, had a generosity without flair, a tenderness and compassion for others life concerns, an unassuming character who somehow always stood out for the depth of her faith and trust in a God who she felt blessed her without fail her entire life. Deploying 3 times to Iraq and being exposed to the burn pits did not dampen her resolve to faithfully serve her country regardless of cost". I miss her so...as does all her family. Just by knowing her she made and is making us better people even now.
On September 11, when the second plane hit, I immediately called my daughter, stationed at Ft. Sill, and told her America was under attack and wasn’t sure how widespread it was so please be careful and watch your surroundings. Her response was, “Sure mom, okay.” Her call came a short time later, “Mom, they hit the Pentagon, the Army side.” And then a confession, “Mom, you know I love the boys with all my heart, but right now if they sent me, I’d go to the Pentagon, those are my people.” And then, “Remember in Naples when dad left, I felt like he abandoned us, but now I understand why he left.”
It is truly inexpressible to capture the willingness of military members to give their all for each other and to understand the deeper sacredness of who they are for each other. They are called upon to reach their highest levels of performance in the sky, on the ground, and on the water in situations that most people could not imagine. They possess an inner strength to face fear and adversity with courage, a mental toughness to overcome obstacles and challenges with a calculated self-confidence and a stoic tactical awareness to see their duty completed, regardless of the cost. They do it for their families, and only hope their families understand and have their back, even as they have each other’s back.
Our daughter told us in a hundred different ways after she came back from her deployments in Iraq why she did what she did, “Glad my boys can grow up free,” “Mom, the atrocities against women, I never want that for you.”
Jennifer Christine Hunter of Abilene, Texas, passed away at home Saturday, June 27, 2015, in Fort Carson, Colorado due to glioblastoma (brain cancer) as a result of burn pit exposure. Jennifer was born December 21, 1978, in Okinawa, Japan to Craig and Donna Kleman. After graduating from Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas, she enlisted in the United States Army on June 28, 2000, after serving in ROTC throughout high school. From her earliest years she showed a keen interest in serving in the military. Two of her great- grandfathers served during WW II, her grandfather during the Vietnam War, and her father during Desert Storm.
