Spc. Justin Penrod of Danville, Illinois attended Danville public schools and later became a cadet at Rantoul's Lincoln's Challenge Academy graduateding at age 17, before enlisting into the Illinois National Guard in Danville. He crammed a lot of life and a little mischief into his 24 years. After serving in the National Guard, he came home and went to work at Lincoln's Challenge. Being that he'd already been here, he could identify with the kids a lot better than we could. He expected the best out of the cadets, and he got it. Justin didn't have much time for dating as a teen because he cared for his older brother, a quadriplegic who lived on his own. As a teenager, put his whole life on hold to take care of him. Justin would put him in a wheelchair and they'd go to the mall or movies. He wanted to make sure Rick wasn't lonely. Rick died in 2002 at age 26. In between his service in the Army National Guard and his enlistment in the regular Army, Justin had a job fixing air-conditioners for P&P Service Center in Mahomet. He was an all-around athlete, but he became more interested in music and in helping people. He was married in November of 2004. In January of 2005, he went on his first tour in Iraq. Justin re-upped for his second tour in Baghdad shortly after his son was born, and left for that deployment in July. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, James "Russ" McQueen, a sister, Emily Marie Penrod, special stepbrother and friend, Rick Reavis. He was 24.

Army
1st Battalion
30th Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
3rd Infantry Division
Fort Stewart, Georgia

Spc. Justin Penrod of Danville, Illinois attended Danville public schools and later became a cadet at Rantoul's Lincoln's Challenge Academy graduateding at age 17, before enlisting into the Illinois National Guard in Danville. He crammed a lot of life and a little mischief into his 24 years. After serving in the National Guard, he came home and went to work at Lincoln's Challenge. Being that he'd already been here, he could identify with the kids a lot better than we could. He expected the best out of the cadets, and he got it. Justin didn't have much time for dating as a teen because he cared for his older brother, a quadriplegic who lived on his own. As a teenager, put his whole life on hold to take care of him. Justin would put him in a wheelchair and they'd go to the mall or movies. He wanted to make sure Rick wasn't lonely. Rick died in 2002 at age 26. In between his service in the Army National Guard and his enlistment in the regular Army, Justin had a job fixing air-conditioners for P&P Service Center in Mahomet. He was an all-around athlete, but he became more interested in music and in helping people. He was married in November of 2004. In January of 2005, he went on his first tour in Iraq. Justin re-upped for his second tour in Baghdad shortly after his son was born, and left for that deployment in July. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, James "Russ" McQueen, a sister, Emily Marie Penrod, special stepbrother and friend, Rick Reavis. He was 24.

Army
1st Battalion
30th Infantry Regiment
2nd Brigade Combat Team
3rd Infantry Division
Fort Stewart, Georgia