Air Force A1C Nathaniel McDavitt, 22, of Glen Burnie, Maryland died April 15, 2016 as a result of injuries sustained after extreme winds caused structural damage to the building in which he was working. A1C McDavitt was temporarily deployed to Jordan with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing for joint training exercises with the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF). He was an F-16 crew chief supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on behalf of the 52nd Equipment Maintenance Squadron, 407th Air Expeditionary Group at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. According to The Jordan Times, the US embassy in Amman was looking into the cause of the accident that killed A1C McDavitt. His family set up a memorial scholarship fund in his name.
There is no indication yet whether the building in question was on or off a U.S. military base in the region. A spokesperson for AFCENT said the 407th group is part of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, but that the unit is geographically separated from the wing. Due to “host nation sensitivities,” the Air Force won’t release the 407th’s location. –Air Force Times
Army Sgt. Joseph Stifter, 30, of Glendale, California, died of wounds suffered when his armored HMMWV was involved in a roll-over accident on January 28, 2016 at Al Asad Airbase, Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Sgt. Stifter was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on behalf of the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas. At the time of the press release, the incident was under investigation.
Air Force Major John Gerrie, 42, of Nickerson, Kansas, died from a non-combat related incident on January 16, 2016 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Major Gerrie was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on behalf of the 453rd Electronic Warfare Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas. The official cause of death is unknown.
Fort Bragg equips, trains, rapidly deploys, and sustains full spectrum forces supporting Combatant Commanders from a Community of Excellence where Soldiers, Families and Civilians thrive.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson: On July 30, 2010, the 673d Air Base Wing activated as the host wing combining installation management functions of Elmendorf Air Force Base’s 3rd Wing and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Richardson and consists of four groups that operate and maintain the Joint Base for air sovereignty, combat training, force staging and through output operations in support of worldwide contingencies. The installation hosts the headquarters for the United States Alaskan Command, 11th Air Force, U.S. Army Alaska, and the Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region. The 673 ABW comprises of 5,500 joint military and civilian personnel, supporting America’s Arctic Warriors and their families. The wing supports and enables three Air Force total-force wings, two Army brigades and 75 associate and tenant units.
Shareef Abdullah, US Army (2015): Convicted of of sexual assault and abusive sexual contact; reduced to E-1, confined for six years, and dishonorably discharged.
Alexander Denson, US Army (2015): Convicted of false official statement, aggravated sexual assault, assault with force likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm, simple assault and communicating a threat; reduced to E-1, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, confined for 68 months, and bad-conduct discharge.
Dakota Simmons, US Army (2015): Convicted of willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer and assault consummated by a battery upon a child under the age of 16; confined for 34 months and 15 days and bad-conduct discharge.
Jeremiah Smith, US Army (2015): Convicted of failure to obey a regulation and false official statement; acquitted of maltreatment and abusive sexual contact; reduced to E-7.
Timothy Worlds, US Army (2015): Convicted of aggravated assault and assault consummated by a battery; acquitted of sexual assault and maiming; reduced to E-1, confined for 23 months and bad-conduct discharge.
Kip Lynch, US Army (2010): Convicted of 1st Degree Murder in Raquell Lynch’s Death, 2 Counts of 2nd Degree Murder for Wife & Daughter, Sentenced to 80 Years
Michael Hensley, US Army (2007): Acquitted of premeditated murder; convicted of planting AK-47 and disrespecting a commanding officer; sentenced to time served
Fort Wainwright is the home of the United States Army Garrison and units of the United States Army Alaska (USARAK) including the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, also known as the 1-25th SBCT; the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade (Alaska) and the Medical Department Activity-Alaska.
2014
3 May 14: Pfc Daniela Rojas, Army (non-combat related illness, required treatment beyond military’s capability)
2013
2 Jul 13: Spc Hilda Clayton, Army (non-combat related incident, training exercise)
3 May 13: Capt Victoria Pinckney, USAF (KC-135 airplane crash, malfunction, pilot error)
11 Mar 13: Capt Sara Cullen, Army (helicopter crash during training mission, under investigation)
2011
21 Dec 11: Spc Mikayla Bragg, Army (found shot & killed in a guard tower, military ruled suicide)
27 Apr 11: MSgt Tara Brown, USAF (gunfire wounds sustained from Afghan military trainee)
16 Apr 11: SSG Cynthia Taylor, Army (Afghan National Army soldier grenade attack)
16 Apr 11: SGT Linda Pierre, Army (Afghan National Army soldier grenade attack)
2009
8 Aug 09: SSG Tara Smith, Army (non-combat related medical condition)
27 Mar 09: LT Florence Choe, Navy (Afghan National Army soldier opened fire on military personnel)
2008
25 Jul 08: Spc Seteria Brown, Army (injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident)
2007
28 Sep 07: Cpl Ciara Durkin, Army (single gunshot wound to the head, military ruled suicide, family suspects murder after Ciara shared concerns of safety)
2006
17 Feb 06: SrA Alecia Good, USAF (two helicopters crashed into the Gulf of Aden during a training mission)
2005
6 Apr 05: SGM Barbaralien Banks, Army (helicopter in which she was riding crashed)
6 Apr 05: Spc Chrystal Stout, SCARNG (helicopter in which she was riding crashed)
2004
4 Jul 04: Spc Julie Hickey, Army (complications from a non-combat-related illness)
2003
23 Mar 03: Tamara Archuleta, USAF (killed in a HH-60G Pave Hawk crash)
2002
12 Jun 02: SSgt Anissa Shero, USAF (killed in an MC-130H Combat Talon crash)
9 Jan 02: SGT Jeannette Winters, USMC (killed in a refueling tanker crash)
Civilians
6 Apr 13: Anne Smedinghoff, US State Dept (convoy vehicle struck by vehicle that exploded)
30 Dec 09: Jennifer Matthews, CIA (killed by an informant who had set a trap)
30 Dec 09: Elizabeth Hanson, CIA (killed by an informant who had set a trap)
7 Jan 09: Paula Loyd, Human Terrain System, US Army (doused with fuel & set afire by irate Afghan civilian)
3 Feb 05: Carmen Urdaneta, Management Sciences for Health (aircraft crash near Kabul)
3 Feb 05: Cristin Gadue, Management Sciences for Health (aircraft crash near Kabul)
3 Feb 05: Amy Meeks, Management Sciences for Health (aircraft crash near Kabul)
Allegations of mistreatment persist inside units designed to heal wounded soldiers
“NBC 5 Investigates has learned that the U.S. Army has launched a new investigation inside Fort Hood’s Warrior Transition Unit (WTU), looking at claims of harassment and abuse.
The investigation comes after NBC 5 Investigates partnered with The Dallas Morning News for a six-month investigation that revealed hundreds of complaints from injured soldiers who said commanders harassed, belittled them and ordered them to do things that made their conditions worse at three Warrior Transition Units in Texas: Fort Hood, Fort Bliss and Fort Sam Houston.”
Air Force Captain William DuBois, 30, of New Castle, Colorado died December 1, 2014 when his F-16 aircraft crashed near a coalition air base in Jordan. Captain DuBois was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve on behalf of the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. Captain DuBois grew up in New Castle, Colorado and graduated from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The accident was investigated and the Air Force accident investigation board reported that a rapid descent caused the fatal F-16 crash.
Because he was flying so low, DuBois was unable to recognize and recover from the descent. After pulling out of the turn, about one second before hitting the ground, DuBois apparently was able to see he was too low and attempted a 4G level pull away from the ground, but it was too late. –Air Force Times