Minot officer dies after fall Published Sept. 20, 2004 MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFPN) -- A lieutenant colonel here died Sept. 18 at about 12:30 p.m. from injuries sustained in a fall earlier in the day.Lt. Col. David Patterson, 5th Maintenance Group deputy commander, fell from an obstacle at the base’s confidence course while participating in a team-building exercise.The colonel arrived to the base in April and, along with the 5th MXG commander, was responsible for managing 1,200 Airmen maintaining 35 B-52H Stratofortress bombers and warheads for 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. He was also responsible for equipment worth more than $500 million and a munitions stockpile valued at more than $5.8 million supporting the 5th Bomb Wing and 91st Space Wing. Colonel Patterson enlisted in the Air Force in 1973 as a B-52 crew chief at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. He received his commission in 1982 after completing the Air Force ROTC program at Iowa State University. He held a variety of base, command and air staff-level aircraft maintenance and logistics positions throughout his more than 25 years in the Air Force.He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Southwest Asia Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal with a star.An investigation into the accident is under way.