Early Life and Military Family Tradition
Staff Sgt. Todd James “TJ” Lobraico Jr. exemplified bravery, selflessness, and dedication. Born on November 23, 1990, in New Milford, Connecticut, TJ grew up in a proud military family. His parents were MSgt. Todd J. Lobraico and Maj. Linda (Strid) Rohatsch, alongside step-parents Dr. Robert Rohatsch and Dianne Lobraico. After graduating from New Fairfield High School in 2008, he attended Western Connecticut State University. There, he studied Justice and Law Administration, aspiring to follow his father into law enforcement.
Air National Guard Service and Deployments
Continuing a legacy passed down by his grandparents, TJ enlisted in the New York Air National Guard in 2008. He served with the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. Following honors at Security Forces Technical School, he completed two deployments. First, he served at Balad Air Base in Iraq from December 2010 to June 2011. Later, his second deployment stationed him near Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.
Ultimate Sacrifice and Legacy
On September 5, 2013, TJ tragically lost his life in the line of duty at just 22 years old. Small arms fire killed him while he protected his squad from an ambush in Afghanistan. Afterward, the military posthumously awarded him the Bronze Star with Valor. As the first member of the New York Air National Guard to die in combat since 2001, his loss deeply affected communities across New York and Connecticut. Following his return, more than 1,000 people attended a vigil in New Fairfield. Eventually, loved ones laid him to rest at North Cemetery in Sherman, Connecticut. Today, his memory continues to be honored through community memorials, and his enduring legacy remains preserved within our Remember the Fallen archives.
View SSgt. Todd James “TJ” Lobraico Jr.’s Gallery of Valor profile
I am not a veteran. I am a member of the Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force Auxiliary. But in 1991, personal loss brought me to a place I never left.
Over two decades later, that loss led me to the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown, Connecticut, where I took on the coordination of Wreaths Across America — which grew into the largest and fastest growing veterans program in the state. I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it for them.
In 2016 I founded the Connecticut Veterans Bulletin. Not because I served, but because I believe those who did deserve to be honored, connected, and kept alive.
Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every day. I knew about that number before it became a hashtag. I knew it personally, long before anyone was talking about it.
This publication exists because that number is unacceptable. Because every veteran in Connecticut deserves to know someone gives a damn.
That someone is me.