Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin wasn’t always a model student in college. A dean at the University of Wyoming noticed times where Griffin strayed.

The dean rattled on about the young man’s need for reform, said Lt. Col. Scott Mueller, recalling the story about Griffin once told to him. Jobs aren’t given to people who fight or intimidate others, the dean espoused.

Griffin responded with a deep chuckle, Mueller said, relaying the story.

“Well sir, I found one,” Griffin said.

Chuckling through tears, Mueller and hundreds of people inside Fort Carson Soldiers’ Memorial Chapel gathered Tuesday to remember Griffin, the 4th Brigade Combat Team’s top enlisted soldier who died Aug. 8 when suicide bombers attacked in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

Also killed were Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, 35, of the 4th Brigade, and Maj. Walter D. Gray, 38, an airman stationed at Fort Carson assigned to coordinate air support for the brigade’s troops.

The attack rattled the so-called Warrior brigade, which deployed in March to eastern Afghanistan. Griffin was the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to be killed in Iraq or Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, friends, family and fellow soldiers spoke frankly about the 45-year-old soldier. Shawn Griffin settled on one word to remember his brother: “Powerful.”

Short in stature but stout, Kevin Griffin earned a reputation for being a top-notch wrestler while growing up in Riverton, Wyo. — a sport that he continued in college before enlisting in 1988.

As the years wore on, had a knack for passing on memorable wrestling tips. He also passed along his love for the Army. Kevin Griffin’s son, Sgt. Dane Griffin, and his nephew, Spc. Derek Griffin each joined the military in his footsteps. Their decision tugged at Kevin Griffin’s emotions — natural hesitation for a soldier who saw many of his fellow troops killed overseas.

“He didn’t want us to go, but he was proud at the same time,” Derek Griffin said.The Army’s culture of structure and discipline were a perfect fit for Griffin, said Mueller, who recalled Griffin’s trip to the dean’s office. But Kevin Griffin thrived by often joking with his troops.

Mueller shook his head at Griffin’s penchant for always suggesting a trip to the golf course right when his soldier evaluations were due. And Mueller smirked when Griffin then offered a shot or two of tequila.

At war, he focused less on jokes and more on his troops’ morale. Kevin Griffin deployed to Kuwait and the Balkans and served three tours in Iraq before deploying with the 4th Brigade to Afghanistan. He received five Bronze Star medals.

“Griff was an inspirational leader, like a father to his troops,” Mueller said. “Kevin always had a way of keeping people focused through laughter.”

He was most powerful as a father and husband, Shawn Griffin said.

A week before the attack, Kevin Griffin celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary to Pam Griffin. In December, he planned to come home and see his 15-year-old daughter, Kylie, through high school.

Instead, the family walked down the chapel’s aisle, following his casket on its way to Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

“That’s the saddest thing,” Shawn Griffin said. “Kevin was right where he wanted to be in life.”

—Contact Jakob Rodgers: 476-1654Twitter @jakobrodgersFacebook Jakob Rodgers

NOTE: The quote by Shawn Griffin has been corrected.

Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Griffin was killed Aug. 8 in Aghanistan. Photo by