Christopher served with the military for 19 years and earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. At the time of his death on December 24, 2003, he was helping to train Iraqi reserves and he was working on rebuilding the city with an Iraqi contractor. He also set up missions to look for weapons of mass destruction. “Christopher said when 9/11 happened, ‘I’m going if they are asking for volunteers.’ He was an honorable man and he loved his country,” said Penny. "I never heard him happier than when he was over there. If he were alive today, he’d go back over in a heartbeat. In fact, he thought they should stay over there for the next 5-10 years to help the Iraqi people get on their feet.”

• Friend and colleague Lt. Col. Bryan Watson said Splinter accepted the call to combat last summer without hesitation.
  "Chris was born for this -- to be one of America's great warriors," he said during the eulogy. "Some guys take tough jobs like this for a chance at a promotion. Chris took it to serve his nation."
  On the ground in Iraq, Splinter worked to rebuild the war-ravaged country, including roads. But he also was involved in combat missions. "He planned and orchestrated and led combat patrols, weapons searches and raids that resulted in the capture and destruction of untold enemy weapons," Watson said. "His actions saved lives." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1/3/04