Air Force heroes: 20 fallen Airmen honored in Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Capt. Travis Tougaw
  • 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNEWS) --  The 455th Air Expeditionary Wing here held a formal retreat March 4 to honor the 20 Air Force members who have died in Afghanistan since Operation Enduring Freedom began in 2001.

Route 56, the wing's NCO advisory council, planned the retreat. The council wanted "to remind everyone of the pride and honor that should be incorporated in our daily tasking and to create a renewed sense of esprit de corps," said Tech. Sgt. Steven Wilson.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Airmen from across the wing read the names of the twenty fallen Air Force heroes and the circumstances of their deaths. 

During his address, Brig. Gen. Christopher Miller, the 455th AEW commander, reminded wing members that some of the Airmen died in combat with the enemy and others died when their aircraft failed.

"The losses inflicted by the enemy are a stark reminder of the reason that we serve, so that our fellow Americans can sleep safely at night and enjoy the rich blessings that freedom brings to a worthy people," he said. "But, the losses caused by the failure of our aircraft are an equally clear reminder of the nature of the Air Force and the ever-present need for us to work as a team to launch the best-prepared machines that we can into the demanding environment of Earth's atmosphere."

General Miller encouraged the wing to remember why they're in Afghanistan.

"Look to your left, look to your right, and when you can, look in a mirror, and you'll see Airmen who stand in the tradition of those whose names we've read today," he said. "None of our fallen comrades sought the sacrifice that we honor them for today, but they did something that we must all seek to do equally well: to bear true faith and allegiance to their nation, to their comrades of all services, to the ideals of the Constitution that we serve. Those words, true faith and allegiance, are very short, but their meaning is vast. We can aspire to very few things that mean more."

In exhibiting faith and allegiance, those Airmen improved the lives of the Afghan people and people around the world, the general said.

"They fought that men and women of America and their children, and the children of Afghanistan, and all free peoples might live in a world that is marked by trust and not hatred, freedom and not oppression," he said. "Be proud of those we honor tonight, be humbled that we can serve a great nation, and be recommitted to victory in this historic fight."

For Sergeant Wilson, the fight against terrorism holds personal significance. He was less than 30 yards from the bomb that exploded at the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996.

"I know what it's like for terror to come knocking on your front door, and how lucky I was to survive with only moderate injuries," he said. "I'm not sure there's a day that has gone by in the last 10-plus years that I haven't thought about that night. Hopefully, this ceremony will allow everyone, regardless of how often or ever, to stop and take a moment to reflect and remember."

The ceremony marked five years since Senior Airman Jason Cunningham's death. Airman Cunningham, a pararescueman from the 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., was killed in action March 4, 2002, in Paktia Province when the quick reaction force he belonged to entered hostile territory to rescue two American service members. He was among the first Airmen to die in Afghanistan. The Air Force compound at Bagram Airfield is named in Airman Cunningham's honor.

Sergeant Wilson encouraged all members of the 455th AEW to read the plaque near the Camp Cunningham flag pole.

"It's important to remember the war on terror is real and it can strike home at any time," he said. "Thousands of armed forces members have paid the ultimate price, so that billions around the world can live free and without fear of terror." 

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