Staff Sergeant Derek John Farley joined the U.S. Army right out of high school in 2004. He went to school and became an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. Farley served in Iraq from 2006 to 2007 receiving a Purple Heart for the loss of his ear drum. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 where he was killed while disarming a bomb. He had two weeks left of his deployment.

As a child, Derek was always dismantling his toys to see how they worked. He was a very curious child, never sitting still. He was one of the hardest working people you could knew. Derek was loyal to his profession, the military, his friends, and his family. He believed in what he was doing, saving people’s lives.

Derek Farley was very proud of being an EOD Team Leader and always hungry to learn more. He loved being a soldier. It’s what made his heart beat.