Wednesday Hero - Maj. Edward Cragg

This post was suggested by Michael



Maj. Edward Cragg24 years old from Greenwich, Connecticut
80th Fighter Squadron
September 8, 1919 - December 26, 1943



Maj. Edward "Porky" Cragg was a triple Ace in WWII with 15 confirmed kills who was shot down over Papua New Guinea and listed as MIA.






You can read more about Maj. Cragg here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Warzone Photos: Inside a Combat Landing in Afghanistan

C-130 crew contends with anti-aircraft weapons, dangerous conditions to link critical air bases

U.S. News |  Paul D. Shinkman | BAGRAM AIRBASE, Afghanistan—The nose of the Air Force C-130 cargo plane dips sharply as it hurtles toward the oncoming runway at one of this country’s largest military bases. It’s an alarming descent for the uninitiated, more used to the easy 3-degree glide path that most commercial jets employ.

But for pilots heading into Bagram, it’s the standard operating procedure. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans live within eight miles of the perimeter here, and Taliban fighters still operate among these towns.

 

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Wednesday Hero - SSgt. Robert Gutierrez Jr.

SSgt. Robert Gutierrez , Jr.



The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Air Force Cross to Staff Sergeant Robert Gutierrez, Jr., United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy of the United States in Heart Province, Afghanistan, on 5 October 2009. On that date, while assigned as a combat controller to an Army Special Forces Detachment, Sergeant Gutierrez and his team conducted a high-risk nighttime raid to capture the number two Taliban leader in the region. During the initial assault, the team was attacked with a barrage of rifle and heavy machine-gun fire from a numerically superior and determined enemy force. Sergeant Gutierrez was shot in the chest, his team leader was shot in the leg, and the ten-man element was pinned down in a building with no escape route. In great pain and confronting the very real possibility that he would die, Sergeant Gutierrez seized the initiative and refused to relinquish his duties as joint terminal attack controller. Under intense fire, he engaged Taliban fighters with his M-4 rifle and brought airpower to bear, controlling three "danger close" A-10 strafing runs with exceptional precision against enemy forces just 30 feet away. After the first A-10 attack, the team medic performed a needle decompression to re-inflate Sergeant Gutierrez's collapsed lung, allowing him to direct the next two strafe runs which decimated the enemy force and allowed the team to escape the kill zone without additional casualties. Throughout the four-hour battle, Sergeant Gutierrez's valorous actions, at great risk to his own life, helped save the lives of his teammates and dealt a crushing blow to the regional Taliban network. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Sergeant Gutierrez reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force. You can read more about SSgt. Gutierrez here

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives just so others may get to enjoy freedom. For that I am proud to call them Hero.

Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Tech. Sgt. Larry D. Bunn

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Tech. Sgt. Larry D. Bunn, 43, of Bossier City, La., died March 7 as a result of a non-combat incident at an undisclosed base in Southwest Asia.  He was assigned to the 307th Maintenance Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.  For more information media may contact the Air Force 307th Bomb Wing Public Affairs Office at 318-529-3024.

DOD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for Fiscal 2012, Through December

The Department of Defense announced today recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for fiscal 2012, through December.

Active Component.

Recruiting -- Year to Date. All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2012, through December.

Army -- 11,266 accessions, with a goal of 11,100; 101 percent

Navy -- 6,689 accessions, with a goal of 6,689; 100 percent

Marine Corps -- 5,408 accessions, with a goal of 5,397; 100 percent

Air Force -- 7,110 accessions, with a goal of 7,110; 100 percent

Retention. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force all exhibited strong retention numbers for the first three months of fiscal 2012.

Reserve Component.

Recruiting – Fiscal 2012. Four of the six reserve components met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal 2012, through December.

Army National Guard -- 11,312 accessions, with a goal of 12,055; 94 percent

Army Reserve -- 7,638 accessions, with a goal of 5,991; 127 percent

Navy Reserve -- 1,798 accessions, with a goal of 1,798; 100 percent

Marine Corps Reserve -- 2,346 accessions, with a goal of 2,126; 110 percent

Air National Guard -- 1,832 accessions, with a goal of 1,959; 94 percent

Air Force Reserve -- 2,097 accessions, with a goal of 2,097; 100 percent

Attrition -- All reserve components are on target to achieve their fiscal year attrition goals.

Detailed information on specific recruiting data can be obtained by contacting the individual military recruiting commands at 502-626-0164 for Army, 210-565-4678 for Air Force, 703-784-9454 for Marine Corps, and 901-874-9048 for Navy. The reserve components can be reached at the following numbers: National Guard Bureau 703-607-2586; Army Reserve 404-464-8490; Air Force Reserve 703-697-1761; Navy Reserve 757-322-5652; and Marine Corps Reserve 504-678-6535.

Airman 1st Class Matthew R. Seidler, Tech. Sgt. Matthew S. Schwartz, Senior Airman Bryan R. Bell

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

They died Jan. 5 in Shir ghazi, Helmand province, Afghanistan, when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.

Killed were:

Senior Airman Bryan R. Bell, 23, of Erie, Pa. He was assigned to the 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, La. For more information media may contact the Air Force 2nd Bomb Wing public affairs office at 318-456-3309.

Tech. Sgt. Matthew S. Schwartz, 34, of Traverse City, Mich. He was assigned to the 90th Civil Engineer Squadron, FE Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. For more information media may contact the Air Force 90th Missile Wing public affairs office at 307-630-3908.

Airman 1st Class Matthew R. Seidler, 24, of Westminster, Md. He was assigned to the 21st Civil Engineer Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. For more information media may contact the Air Force 21st Space Wing public affairs office at 719-556-5185.

Airmen 1st Class Jerome D. Miller Jr.

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Airmen 1st Class Jerome D. Miller Jr., 23, of Washington, D.C. died Oct. 13 due to a non-combat related incident in Parwan province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 459th Security Forces Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

For more information, media may contact the Andrews Air Force Base public affairs office at 240-857-6873.

Missing Since Dec 1, 1965 Air Force Major Thomas E. Reitmann Finally Comes Home...

Air Force Pilot Missing From Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Major Thomas E. Reitmann of Red Wing, Minn., will be buried on Sept. 8 in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1965, Reitmann was assigned to the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed out of Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., to Takhli Air Base, Thailand. On Dec 1, 1965, he was flying a strike mission as the number three aircraft in a flight of four F-105D Thunderchiefs as part of Operation Rolling Thunder. His target was a railroad bridge located about 45 nautical miles northeast of Hanoi. As the aircrew approached the target area, they encountered extremely heavy and accurate anti-aircraft artillery (AAA). While attempting to acquire his target and release his ordnance, Reitmann received a direct AAA hit and crashed in Lang Son Province, North Vietnam. Other pilots in the flight observed no parachute, and no signals or emergency beepers were heard. Due to the intense enemy fire in the area a search-and-rescue team was not able to survey the site and a two-day electronic search found no sign of the aircraft or Reitmann.

In 1988, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) repatriated remains to the United States believed to be those of Reitmann. The remains were later identified as those of another American pilot who went missing in the area on the same day as Reitmann.

Between 1991 and 2009, joint U.S.-S.R.V. teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), analyzed numerous leads, interviewed villagers, and attempted to locate the aircraft. Although no evidence of the crash site was found, in 2009 and 2011 a local farmer turned over remains and a metal button he claimed to have found in his corn field.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his brother -- in the identification of Reitmann’s remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 571-422-9059.

Who They Were: The Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Killed in the August 6 CH-47 Crash

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 30 servicemembers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 6 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed.

The following sailors assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Jonas B. Kelsall, 32, of Shreveport, La.,

Special Warfare Operator Master Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Louis J. Langlais, 44, of Santa Barbara, Calif.,

Secial Warfare Operator Senior Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Thomas A. Ratzlaff, 34, of Green Forest, Ark.,

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Senior Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Kraig M. Vickers 36, of Kokomo, Hawaii,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Brian R. Bill, 31, of Stamford, Conn.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) John W. Faas, 31, of Minneapolis, Minn.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Kevin A. Houston, 35, of West Hyannisport, Mass.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Matthew D. Mason, 37, of Kansas City, Mo.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Stephen M. Mills, 35, of Fort Worth, Texas,

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Chief Petty Officer (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist/Diver) Nicholas H. Null, 30, of Washington, W.Va.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Robert J. Reeves, 32, of Shreveport, La.,

Special Warfare Operator Chief Petty Officer (SEAL) Heath M. Robinson, 34, of Detroit, Mich.,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Darrik C. Benson, 28, of Angwin, Calif.

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Parachutist) Christopher G. Campbell, 36, of Jacksonville, N.C.,

Information Systems Technician Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist/Freefall Parachutist) Jared W. Day, 28, of Taylorsville, Utah,

Master-at-Arms Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) John Douangdara, 26, of South Sioux City, Neb.,

Cryptologist Technician (Collection) Petty Officer 1st Class (Expeditionary Warfare Specialist) Michael J. Strange, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa.,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL/Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist) Jon T. Tumilson, 35, of Rockford, Iowa,

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Aaron C. Vaughn, 30, of Stuart, Fla., and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jason R. Workman, 32, of Blanding, Utah.

The following sailors assigned to a West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit were killed:

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 1st Class (SEAL) Jesse D. Pittman, 27, of Ukiah, Calif., and

Special Warfare Operator Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Nicholas P. Spehar, 24, of Saint Paul, Minn.

The soldiers killed were:

Chief Warrant Officer David R. Carter, 47, of Centennial, Colo. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Aurora, Colo.;

Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols, 31, of Hays, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.;

Sgt. Patrick D. Hamburger, 30, of Lincoln, Neb. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), Grand Island, Neb.;

Sgt. Alexander J. Bennett, 24, of Tacoma, Wash. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.; and

Spc. Spencer C. Duncan, 21, of Olathe, Kan. He was assigned to the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), New Century, Kan.

The airmen killed were:

Tech. Sgt. John W. Brown, 33, of Tallahassee, Fla.;

Staff Sgt. Andrew W. Harvell, 26, of Long Beach, Calif.; and

Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Zerbe, 28, of York, Pa.

All three airmen were assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Field, N.C.

For more information about the sailors, media may contact Lt. Arlo Abrahamson at 757-763-2007 or 757-620-3109.

For more information on Carter, media may contact the Colorado National Guard public affairs office at 720-250-1053.

For more information on Nichols, Bennett and Duncan, media may contact the 11th Aviation Command public affairs office at 502-626-5746 or 502-851-3466.

For more information on Hamburger, media may contact the Nebraska National Guard public affairs office at 402-309-7302 or 402-309-7303.

For more information about the airmen, media may contact the Air Force Special Operations Command public affairs office at 850-884-5515.

Missing World War II Soldiers Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced Monday that the remains 12 U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

They are Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Jack E. Volz, 21, of Indianapolis; 2nd Lt. Regis E. Dietz, 28, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; 2nd Lt. Edward J. Lake, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; 2nd Lt. Martin P. Murray, 21, of Lowell, Mass.; 2nd Lt. William J. Shryock, 23, of Gary, Ind.; Tech. Sgt. Robert S. Wren, 25, of Seattle, Wash.; Tech. Sgt. Hollis R. Smith, 22, of Cove, Ark.; Staff Sgt. Berthold A. Chastain, 27, Dalton, Ga.; Staff Sgt. Clyde L. Green, 24, Erie, Pa.; Staff Sgt. Frederick E. Harris, 23, Medford, Mass.; Staff Sgt. Claude A. Ray, 24, Coffeyville, Kan.; and Staff Sgt. Claude G. Tyler, 24, Landover, Md. The remains representing the entire crew will be buried as a group, in a single casket, Aug. 4 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. Eight of the airmen were identified and buried as individuals during previous ceremonies. Shryock, Green and Harris were also individually identified and will be interred individually at Arlington on the same day as the group interment.

These 12 airmen were ordered to carry out a reconnaissance mission in their B-24D Liberator, taking off from an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea, on Oct. 27, 1943. Allied plans were being formulated to mount an attack on the Japanese redoubt at Rabaul, New Britain. American strategists considered it critical to take Rabaul in order to support the eventual invasion of the Philippines. The crew’s assigned area of reconnaissance was the nearby shipping lanes in the Bismarck Sea. But during their mission, they were radioed to land at a friendly air strip nearby due to poor weather conditions. The last radio transmission from the crew did not indicate their location, and in the following weeks, multiple searches over land and sea areas did not locate the aircraft.

Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted investigations and searches for 43 missing airmen, including these airmen, in the area but concluded in June 1949 that they were unrecoverable.

In August 2003, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) received information on a crash site from a citizen in Papua New Guinea while they were investigating another case. He also turned over an identification card from one of the crew members and reported that there were possible human remains at the site of the crash. Twice in 2004 other JPAC teams attempted to visit the site but were unable to do so due to poor weather and hazardous conditions at the helicopter landing site. Another team was able to successfully excavate the site from January to March 2007 where they found several identification tags from the B-24D crew as well as human remains.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA—which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families—in the identification of their remains

Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 73,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

Welcome Home Maj. Richard G. Elzinga

Air Force Pilot Missing from Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Maj. Richard G. Elzinga of Shedd, Ore., will be buried on July 8 in Arlington National Cemetery. On March 26, 1970, Elzinga and his co-pilot went missing when their O-1G Birddog aircraft failed to return to base from a familiarization flight over Laos. Fifteen minutes after the last radio contact, a communication and visual search showed no sign of the men or their aircraft. Search and rescue missions continued for two days with no results.

Between 1994 and 2009, joint U.S.-Lao People’s Democratic Republic teams led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, analyzed leads, interviewed villagers and surveyed possible crash site locations. During several joint field surveys, teams recovered human remains, aircraft wreckage, and crew-related equipment.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA -- which matched that of his aunt and cousin -- in the identification of Elzinga’s remains.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Douville

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Tech. Sgt. Daniel L. Douville, 33, of Harvey, La., died June 26 as a result of injuries suffered from an improvised explosive device on the border of the Nad 'Ali district of Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

For more information media may contact the 96th Air Base Wing public affairs office at 850-882-3931.

Tech. Sgt. Kristoffer M. Solesbee, Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Hamski

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The airmen died May 26 in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.

Killed were:

Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Hamski, 28, of Ottumwa, Iowa. He was assigned to the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. For more information, media may contact the 52nd Fighter Wing public affairs office at 011-49-171-331-4921.

Tech. Sgt. Kristoffer M. Solesbee, 32, of Citrus Heights, Calif. He was assigned to the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. For more information, media may contact the 75th Air Base Wing public affairs office at 801-645-7073.

Tornado hits Little Rock AFB; officials still assessing damage

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. A tornado struck Little Rock Air Force Base at approximately 8 p.m., April 25.

Emergency crews immediately responded in the aftermath of the tornado and conducted a house-to-house recall of all personnel, according to a 19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs news release. Base housing residents were also encouraged to stay indoors due to downed power lines in base housing.

On the morning of April 26, base officials further assessed damage to the base. Another wing press release stated "roughly 100 houses were damaged" and on the flightline there were at least three C-130 Hercules aircraft damaged. Further investigation and work is on-going, officials said.

According to the National Weather Service, April 25, a tornado outbreak affected southwest and central sections of Arkansas.

"There were at least half a dozen tornadoes, and it appears some of them were strong and long-lived," according to the NWS Web site. "The storm that produced the tornado (in Faulkner County) may have also spawned tornadoes from Sunshine and Hot Springs Village (both in Garland County) to near Paron (Saline County), Morgan (Pulaski County) and Romance (White County).

"Damage north of Jacksonville and around the Little Rock Air Force Base (both in Pulaski County) was also likely caused by a tornado (from a different parent storm)," the NWS states. "There was major tree damage between Big Fork and Board Camp (Polk County), and this was probably the result of a tornado. Survey teams from the National Weather Service will be out in the coming days to examine the damage, and determine how many tornadoes ripped through the region."

Little Rock Air Force Base is the "home of C-130 combat airlift," according to the base's fact sheet. "The 19th Airlift Wing, the base's host unit, in concert with the 314th Airlift Wing, 189th Airlift Wing and U.S. Air Force Mobility Weapons School is known as the world's 'Center of Excellence' for tactical airlift. Currently Little Rock AFB is home to more than 90, C-130 H, J and E models."

(19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs contributed to this report.)

Senior Airmen Michael J. Hinkle II

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation New Dawn.

Senior Airmen Michael J. Hinkle II, 24, of Corona, Calif., died March 16 due to a non-combat related incident in Southwest Asia. He was assigned to the 28th Communications Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.

For more information media may contact the Ellsworth Air Force Base public affairs office at 605-385-5056.

Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Senior Airman Nicholas J. Alden, 25, of Williamston, S.C., died as a result of the March 2 shooting at Frankfurt Airport, Germany. He was assigned to the 48th Security Forces Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom.

For more information, media may contact the Royal Air Force Lakenheath (48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) at +44 1638-522151, or U.S. Air Forces Europe Public Affairs at +49 637-1476558 or by e-mail at usafe.pao@ramstein.af.mil.

Airman 1st Class Christoffer P. Johnson

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation New Dawn.

Airman 1st Class Christoffer P. Johnson, 20, of Clarksville, Tenn., died Feb. 17 due to a non-combat related incident in Southwest Asia. He was assigned to the 423rd Security Forces Squadron, Royal Air Force Alconbury, England.

For more information media may contact the Royal Air Force Alconbury public affairs office at 44-148-082-3150.

Airman 1st Class Corey C. Owens

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation New Dawn.

Airman 1st Class Corey C. Owens, 26, of San Antonio, Texas, died Feb. 17 due to a non-combat related incident at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. He was assigned to the 47th Security Forces Squadron, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.

For more information media may contact the Laughlin Air Force Base public affairs office at 830-298-5044.

Tech. Sgt. Leslie D. Williams

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Tech. Sgt. Leslie D. Williams, 36, of Juneau, Alaska, died Jan. 25 due to a non-combat related incident at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Maintenance Group, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

For more information media may contact the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base public affairs office at 919-722-0027.

Airmen Missing From Vietnam War Identified

The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of two servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Col. James E. Dennany, 34, of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Maj. Robert L. Tucci, 27, of Detroit, will be buried as a group Jan. 14, in the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery.

On Nov. 12, 1969, Dennany and Tucci were flying the number three aircraft of three F-4Ds escorting an AC-130 gunship on a night strike mission over Laos. After the gunship attacked six trucks and set two of them on fire, the AC-130 crew’s night vision equipment was impacted by the glow from the fires. They requested that Tucci attack the remaining trucks. During the attack, gunship crew members observed anti-aircraft artillery gunfire directed at Tucci’s plane followed by a large explosion. No radio transmissions were heard from the F-4D following the attack and no parachutes were seen in the area. An immediate electronic search revealed nothing and no formal search was initiated due to heavy anti-aircraft fire in the area.

Beginning in the mid-1990s analysts at DPMO and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) developed case leads they collected from wartime reporting and archival research.

In 1994, a joint U.S.-Lao People’s Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) team led by JPAC analyzed leads, interviewed villagers, and surveyed five reported crash sites near the record loss location with negative results.

In 1999, during another joint survey, officials in Ban Soppeng, Laos, turned over remains later determined to be human, two .38 caliber pistols and other crew-related equipment that villagers had recovered from a nearby crash site. Between 1999 and 2009, other joint U.S.-L.P.D.R. teams pursued leads, interviewed villagers, and conducted three excavations. They recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains, crew-related equipment and personal effects.

JPAC scientists used forensic tools and circumstantial evidence in the identification of the remains.

With the accounting of these airmen, 1,702 service members still remain missing from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ or call 703-699-1169.