Fallen Midlands Soldier Honored

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — The widow of a fallen Midlands soldier speaks out for the first time publicly about the legacy her late husband leaves behind, as she accepts a plaque in his honor during commencement exercises at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. The late Ryan Rawl was honored this morning during graduation ceremonies at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. Rawl was a Richland County Sheriff’s Deputy on leave serving in the South Carolina Army National Guard when he was killed during a reported suicide bomb attack that also killed 17 Afghans in June. His wife Catherine accepted plaque in his honor. This is the first time she has spoken publicly since her husband’s death. The plaque bearing Rawl’s picture will hang in the basic training dormitory at the Academy for all future students to see. Forty graduates from all over the state were certified as law enforcement officers during the ceremony.