He was son of Mitchell W. and Nora (Palazzolo) Basham. Rob moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1994 and was educated in local schools. In 2002, he graduated from the Kenosha Military Academy. While in high school, he was named Cadet Battalion Commander, serving on the Color Guard, Rifle Team and Raider's Team. He was featured his senior year as a "Today's Teen" and enjoyed golf, playing poker, drawing, coin collecting and playing basketball and foortball. But his passion was the Military. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, he wrote in a newspaper article about his wanting to be a part of the United States response to terrorism. He joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard and served as a member of the Headquarters and Headquarters Battery 1st Battalion, 126th Field Artillery before being sent to Kuwait in 2005 with the Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 128th Infantry for 1 year where he served as squad leader at Camp Virginia. When his unit returned home last November, he volunteered for another tour of duty with the Kansas Army National Guard for a mission inside Iraq. Rob said he received many postive responses from people when they saw him in his uniform and that made him feel very proud. His commander said Rob "absolutely loved his job". Rob died at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar as a result of injuries from a non-combat incident. Rob wanted to become a Secret Service Agent someday, hoping to make a difference in our world. He is survived by his parents of Kenosha; two brothers and one sister, Brian M. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Christopher W. and Jennifer J. Basham, both of Kenosha; paternal grandparents, George and Eva Pavlis of Mundelein, Illinois; maternal grandmother, Norma Palazzolo of Round Lake, Illinois; and many loving aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by a sister, Stephanie Ann on February 14, 1994, and his maternal grandfather, William Palazzolo. Rob is buried alongside PFC Evan Bixler. Bio by: Sue