Freedom Remembered

Born: October 2, 1978 in Brindisi Italy
Died: May 26, 2011 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Tech. Sgt. Kristoffer M. Solesbee of Clearfield, Utah formerly of Citrus Heights, California graduated in 1996 from Freedom Christian School. He died at age 32 in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was, Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Hamski, 1st Lt. John M. Runkle, Staff Sgt. Edward D. Mills, Jr., Staff Sgt. Ergin V. Osman, Sgt. Thomas A. Bohall, Sgt. Louie A. Ramos Velazquez, and Spc. Adam J. Patton.
Air Force
775th Civil Engineer Squadron
Hill Air Force Base, Utah

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9621

To be updated…

Born: April 30, 1983, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Died: May 26, 2011 in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Hamski of Ottumwa, Iowa is a 2001 graduate of Ottumwa High School. He joined the United States Air Force in January 2003 where he served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. He was currently serving his fourth tour of duty overseas. He died at age 28 in the Shorabak district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. Also killed was, Tech. Sgt. Kristoffer M. Solesbee. He leaves his wife, Christina, currently stationed in Germany, his mother and stepfather, Mary Ellen and Joe Winston, two sisters, Jennifer and Nicole, his brother, Thomas, two stepsisters, Lisa Marie and Trazon McMullen, two stepbrothers, Jo-Jo Winston, and Chad Winston.
Air Force
52nd Civil Engineer Squadron
Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany

Burial is at Ottumwa Cemetery in Ottumwa, Iowa

To be updated…

Born: May 4, 1975
Died: April 27, 2011 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Maj. Charles A. Ransom of Midlothian, Virginia was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, where he majored in computer science and served as vice president of the class of 2001. He was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He died at age 31 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. He leaves his father, Willie D. Ransom, his mother, Marysue Ransom, a brother, Stephen and the love of his life, Naquita Bassfield.
Air Force
83rd Network Operations Squadron
Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia

Burial is at First Baptist Church Cemetery in Midlothian, Virginia

To be updated…

Died: April 27, 2011 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Master Sgt. Tara R. Brown of Deltona, Florida died at age 33 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. She was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Joint Base Andrews, Md. She deployed to Afghanistan in January of 2011 to train Afghan airmen on computer and networking skills. Prior to deploying, she was the client support technician noncommissioned officer in charge at the OSI Personnel Division at Andrews. She was posthumously promoted from Technical Sergeant to Master Sgt.

Burial is at Parklawn Memorial Park in Rockville, Maryland

To be updated…

Born: August 1, 1969
Died: April 27, 2011 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Maj. Jeffrey O. Ausborn of Gadsden, Alabama was affectionately known as, ‘Oz’. He volunteered for a deployment to teach new Afghani pilots how to fly the C-27 aircraft. He leaves his wife Suzanna Ausborn, his five children, Emily, Eric, Shelby, Mitchell Maloy, and Summer Maloy, his parents, Alice Faye and Clifford Ausborn, and a brother Stanley. He died at age 41 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire.
Air Force
99th Flying Training Squadron
Randolph Air Force Base, Texas

Burial is at Union #3 Cemetery in Alabama

To be updated…

Born: January 23, 1976 in Fairbury, Illinois
Died: April 27, 2011 at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, 35, of Hockley, Texas graduated from high school in Waller, Texas in 1994, and joined the United States Air Force soon after graduation. He died at age 35 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire.
Air Force
25th Operational Weather Squadron,
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona

To be updated…

Born: August 13, 1973 in Knoxville, Tennessee
Died: April 27, 2011 at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr of Knoxville, Tenn., died at age 37 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. He was assigned to the 56th Operations Group, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. In 1991 he graduated from Karns High School where he brought home the state trophy at 119 pounds. The win led to a congressional appointment to the Air Force Academy, where he served as captain of the wrestling team and most-valuable player. He received his silver wings in 1997. His awards and decorations include, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal, one oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit with valor device and two oak leaf clusters, Combat Readiness Medal, National Defense Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, the Air Force Overseas Ribbon (short and long), the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border, one oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Longevity Service, three oak leaf clusters, and the Air Force Training Ribbon. He was posthumously awarded, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Non-Article 5 NATO Medal and the Air Force Combat Action Medal.

Burial is at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia – Sec 60 Site 9517

To be updated…

Born: January 16, 1971
Died: April 27, 2011 at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II of New Haven, Conn., died at age 40 at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. He was assigned to Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. Raymond served 20 years in the Air Force and was nearing his retirement. He worked as a cyberspace operations officer. He leaves his wife, Major N’Keiba J. Estelle, a newborn son, Raymond III, a daughter, Shayla, his mother, Regina Estelle, and a sister, Nyiesha Estelle.

Burial is at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida – Sec 321 Site 162

To be updated…

Maj. Philip D. Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Wash., died April 27, at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. He was assigned to the 460th Space Communications Squadron, Buckley Air Force Base, Colo. He was serving on a NATO team training the Afghan Air Force. Maj Ambard served as General Born’s executive officer from 2006 to 2007. A fluent speaker of French and Spanish, he had also been serving as an assistant professor of foreign languages at the Air Force Academy. The school sent him to the University of Denver to study for a doctorate from 2007 to 2010. He was sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages for a Ph.D. which he completed in 2010 and was scheduled to return to the Department of Foreign Languages after a deployment to Kabul, Afghanistan. While stationed at the Academy, he was the Department of Foreign Languages executive officer and later served in that same role for the Dean of the Faculty.
United States Air Force Academy Cemetery

To be updated…

Born: December 10, 1976 in Worcester, Massachusetts
Died: April 27, 2011 at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan

Maj. David L. Brodeur, 34, of Auburn, Mass., died April 27, at the Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from gunfire. He was assigned to the 11th Air Force, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. David is a 1999 graduate of the Air Force Academy. He deployed to Afghanistan in February 2011 where he was an adviser to the Afghan Command and Control center under NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan.

United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs

To be updated…