Brownwood Soldier Survives Roadside Bomb in Afghanistan
By: Lisa Tipton, BrownwoodNews.com
Updated: May 14, 2012
It was 25-year-old PFC Andrew (known to his friends as Andy) Putman's first mission out after arriving in Afghanistan when his vehicle, the second in a line of approximately 22, suddenly encountered an explosion from what family is told was a remote-controlled IED on April 28.
During the explosion, the vehicle flipped, killing Christian St. Nichols, the unit's gunner. Pictured above is Andy (far left) and St. Nichols (third from the left).
Andy Putman graduated from Brownwood High School in 2005 and continued his education at Ranger College School of Nursing, graduating in 2009. According to Andy's wife Kendra, they met after she came to Howard Payne University and later married. She stated that Andy joined the Army in August of 2010 and left for basic training January 2011, just days after their third daughter was born. The baby's birth was induced so that he could see her before he left for training, said Kendra. Training continued for a year, which included combat and airborne training, and some of that time spent training with Army Rangers.
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