God Bless Brandon Stout

Great Lakes Christian College student, and Michigan National Guardsman Brandon Stout was killed in Iraq last Monday. The GLCC website made this announcement:

We received word that Brandon Stout was killed in Iraq on Monday. Brandon was one of our students who planned to continue his schooling after his tour of duty. No other details are known atthis time. Audrey, his wide, lives in Grand Rapids. Audrey is attending GLCC and was one of our assistant volleyball coaches. For more information you can contact Wendy Ickes, wickes@glcc.edu.

Channel 4 News in Detroit carried the following:

On Monday, Army Spc. Brandon Stout, 23, of Grand Rapids was killed when an explosive detonated near his vehicle in Baghdad.

Stout was assigned to the 46th Military Police Company, Michigan Army National Guard in Kingsford.Stout was a 2002 graduate of Kent City High School, about 20 miles north of Grand Rapids. After being activated in July, Stout deployed to Fort Dix, N.J., and reached Iraq in October. He was assigned to help Iraqi police with their duties, his mother-in-law, Laura Hinken, told The Grand Rapids Press.

Hinken, of Grand Rapids, said she regarded Stout as her own son.

"Oh, man, if I gave birth to him, I could not love him any more," she said. "You met him, and you liked him right away. He was the most wonderful husband that I could ask a daughter to have."

Her daughter, Audrey, who lives with Laura Hinken and her husband Gary, learned at the same time that her husband had died.

Audrey Stout said her husband joined the Guard in June 2003."

He just really felt called to serve," she said. "He had hoped to be a chaplain's assistant when he joined the Guard. But he was very proud to be an MP."

The pair met while attending Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing. They were married in May 2005 and she moved back in with her parents after he shipped out.

Stout's mother, Tracy Anderson, 39, of Kent City, said she was comforted by the fact that her son believed in what he was doing in Iraq.

"He knew it was his job and he was proud to serve," Anderson said. "He didn't complain. He didn't try to get out of it. He was very proud to want to go and serve."

Please join me in praying for Brandon's family.