The Air Force has identified the three Airmen killed in Friday’s crash of a KC-135 in Kyrgyzstan.
Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo.,
Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif., and
Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif.
They were apparently a Fairchild AFB-based crew.
Also at AF.mil.
ADVERTISEMENT
Initial reports indicate (and Air Force sources reportedly confirm) a US Air Force KC-135 has crashed after takeoff from Manas, Kyrgyzstan, which is a transit hub for US forces in Afghanistan.
Five people were on board, said Elmira Shyrypova, at the Kyrgyz Emergencies Ministry press office. The U.S. military didn’t give the number of those on the plane and said “the status of the crew is unknown.”
Purported photos of the crash site show KC-135 wing parts and a McConnell AFB tail flash.
KC-135s can carry cargo and are also refuelers for the many fighter aircraft supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.
Also at FoxNews.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chaplains protect the religious liberties of US military servicemembers, but as noted here often, they also support the strategic objectives of the US military mission.
A Chaplain at the transit center in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, did that very thing:
One of the four mission pillars of the Transit Center is to build relationships, and…Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Steven Thompson decided to reach out to his Kyrgyz Republic brethren.
He asked a few of the translators at the Transit Center if there was a Baptist church in town…So one Sunday, Thompson, Master Sgt. James Iaun, the superintendent of chapel operations, and a translator showed up for a service.
The pastor of the church in Bishkek, Anton Berdnikov, asked the chaplain to return Read more
A US Air Force article highlights the story of Major Josh Brown, a KC-135 pilot who has earned his 19th Air Medal:
Brown flew his final combat sortie for this deployment July 30, qualifying him to receive the 18th oak leaf cluster for his Air Medal.
The Air Medal is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievements while participating in aerial flight in support of operations…
In layman’s terms, Air Medals are handed out for one of two things: unique, heroic events…or for flying a certain Read more