Staff Sgt. Todd "T.J." Lobraico died in Afghanistan in September 2013 when enemy forces attacked his unit. He was a member of the 105th Airlift Wing. TJ was a 22 year old Sherman resident and New Fairfield High School graduate.
On Saturday, April 11th, received a posthumous Bronze Star Medal with Valor, the military's fourth-highest individual honor and ninth-highest by order of precedence at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York.
"With total disregard for his own safety he placed himself directly between his fire team and the insurgents who unleashed a hellish barrage of rocket, grenade, and small arms fire," the New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs wrote in a press release, "Sergeant Lobraico took immediate and decisive actions while braving this intense enemy fire, and was mortally wounded while directing the maneuver of his fire team to covered positions from which they could effectively defend themselves and return fire on the enemy positions."