Sgt. Andy Stevens (Warpig) has died in Iraq

[walker 0]

It is with deep sadness and regret that I pass on the news just relayed to me in a private forum by Phaeden that:

Sgt. Andy Stevens, (Who's online name was Warpig,) of Tomah, Wisconsin, was one of 10 Marines killed when a roadside bomb made from large artillery shells exploded (IED) during a nighttime foot patrol in Falluja, Iraq, on Thursday, December 1, 2005. He was a sniper on his 2nd Iraq tour, due to return home Jan. 06

The Family, Friends and Comrades of Sgt. Andy Stevens have My Deepest Sympathy and Condolences.

I met Andy at a conference in Orlando this time last year. He was a smiling happy young corporal then, always keen to give a hand and help. He helped us at the Chain of Command with many projects and on other more serious projects. With tears in my eyes, he will greatly missed.

Sgt. Andy Stevens was a powerful advocate of VBS with the US Marine Corps and we all owe him a lot for how good VBS and indeed OFP is and will be in the future.

Articles about Andy

http://www.tomahjournal.com/articles/2005/12/05/news/00lead.txt

http://powerlineblog.com/archives/012442.php

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld....272.htm

http://wfrv.com/local/local_story_337140009.html

Ian Glen Walker

ADDED 12th of September 2006 Quoted from the original Chain of Command Condolences page

Quote[/b] ]Condolences

It is with deep sadness and regret that we must pass on the news relayed to us by Sgt. Christopher "Phaeden" McIntosh, USMC (CA). that:

Sgt. Andy Stevens, (Who's online name was LtColWarpig,) of Tomah, Wisconsin, was one of 10 Marines killed when a roadside bomb made from large artillery shells exploded (IED) during a night-time foot patrol in Falluja, Iraq, on Thursday, December 1, 2005. He was a sniper on his 2nd Iraq tour, due to return home Jan. 06

Like many in the OFP community we first met Andy on line through the work we were doing on OFP. Andy expressed an interest in testing some of our work. He came with good recommendations from others in the field being one of only a handful that were well respected by development teams, enough that they would trust their beta test materials to him

When our work became of a more serious nature Ian finally got to meet Andy in the flesh through work within NATO and at conferences on the subject area of simulation. "I remember him as having a ready smile, an inquisitive mind and a quiet assuredness. He was always a helpful and trusted man that his officers referred to as their; "Goto man" on anything to do with simulation."

Totally self taught and with no background in an area of study, that at least in our team includes: PhDs, serious physicists, luminaries in computer AI and experts in network architecture, he became an acknowledged expert in the field of military simulation. The training systems he worked on regularly received emails of praise and thanks from fellow Marines as saving their and their buddies lives. We hope his work will continue to be a legacy for the safety of other marines and fellow NATO and coalition soldiers.

His knowledge and skill were such that we know he was offered a post working safe at a desk but he chose instead to take another tour in Iraq in order to be with his fellow marines.

The Family Friends and Comrades of Sgt. Andy Stevens, have our Deepest Sympathy and Condolences.

"They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

From Laurence Binyon's Poem "For The Fallen"

On Behalf of all at The Chain of Command

http://www.website.thechainofcommand.net/condolences.htm

Link to the official Condolences book

http://www.legacy.com/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=15836977

Kind Regards Ian Glen Walker

[soul_assassin 1723]

Rest In Peace buddy.

Da budet emu zemlya puhom.

[Heatseeker 0]

My condolences Walker, terrible news indeed .

[Thunderbird 0]

Damn war.

I extend my sincere condolences to his family, friends and loved people, rest in peace.

[blackdog~ 0]

I'm sure he died in true Marine spirit, doing what he loved..

Semper Fi!

[shinRaiden 0]

(Cross-posted from the VBS forums.)

Links to comments at his clan forums :

http://www.1-8th.com/compone....,3390.0

http://www.1-8th.com/compone....,3384.0

Comments from various previously posted links :

Quote[/b] ]

Stevens' awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, two awards of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy Unit Commendation, the Korean Defense Service Medal, two awards of the National Defense Service Medal, five Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Quote[/b] ]

Sgt. Stevens had deployed to Iraq twice previously. He was the oldest of the group that died on Thursday at age 29 though not the most senior because he had left the Marine Corps for a few years and then returned to serve again after the WTC/Pentagon attacks. He was a brilliant individual who had a passion for training Marines and believed in what he was doing. Though possessing no formal training in the field, Sgt. Stevens had become an acknowledged expert on computer based tactical decision simulations and trained many Marines and civilian contractors how to use them.

Quote[/b] ]

Andy was offered a 3-year tour at the Training Center in Orlando to continue development of the USMC version of OFP. He chose instead a second tour in Iraq.

Thank you. May God be with your family at this time and always.

[Pathy 0]

Sad, very sad.

Howabout, RIP to the other 9 marines who died with him, too.......?

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Hvil i fred

[Ironsight 1]

Rest in peace. Same goes for the other 9 marines. Semper Fi marines

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

sad news.

29 , that would be my age (in january), feels too young to die.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/2005.12.html

[raedor 8]

RIP

[wheitmann 0]

RIP to the 10 who lost their lives, in the line of duty.

[wildo 0]

See! this is what damn wars do! we loose friends and family, and innocent people all get caught up in someone elses war!

RIP to all 10 Marines

and may god be with each and everyone (no matter what religion) who is afflicted with this pointless and terrible war

Wildo

[hellfish6 7]

Let's try to keep politics out of this please.

RIP to Andy and his fellow Marines.

[Colossus 2]

"Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead." -Louisa May Alcott

R.I.P  

[harley 3 1185 0]

My condolences to all who knew him. It takes a special kind of person to go back on active duty then volunteer for tour after tour.

R.I.P. to him and his comrades who fell that day.

Harley

[da12thMonkey 1943]

My condolences.

It's put some perspective on the terrible, day-to-day loss of life in Iraq for me. Even though I have very little real knowledge of Andy himself it's brought the reality of war closer to me again.

Very sad.

[hidden_spectre 2]

This is very sad especially cuz he belonged to our ofp comm.

RIP all who died

deepest condolences to their families.

i think this was used to be his profile WARPIG

[Chip 0]

There's no Retry button in RL.

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

Rest in peace for Andy and the 9 other marines!

[General Barron 0]

Rest in peace brother.

[ralphwiggum 6]

RIP

[Gadger 0]

I played OFP with Warpig many times in the past and cannot believe he has gone. Condolences to his family the USMC and 1-8th, the guy was a legend.

[MrZig 0]

R.I.P. Marines.

[PainDealer 0]

omg loosing a member of the community is like loosing a brother hope his family is ok and are able to carry on their lives

R.I.P. buddy, may you play OFP and own our asses on the other side if there is one