Capt James Michael Steel
April 5th, 2013
Capt. James M. Steel, 29, of Tampa, Fla., died April 3 in the crash of an F-16 near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. Steel graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2006, completed pilot training and arrived at Shaw in June 2010. He was the chief of mobility for the squadron, which provides close air support for U.S. and coalition troops on the ground. His plane was on its final approach to land at Bagram Airfield around 11 p.m. when he lost contact with his wingman and the control tower. Steel’s F-16 then crashed 10 miles south of the runway. Steel had been on a routine air support mission. ANC
To be updated…
Born: May 18, 1992 in Winter Haven, Florida
Born: July 22, 1981 in Herkimer, New York
Spc. Zachary L. Shannon, 21, of Dunedin, Fla., died March 11 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. Spc. Shannon, a Black Hawk crew chief, joined the Army in August 2010 and arrived at the unit in April 2012. This was his first deployment. Dunedin Cemetery.
Born: January 6, 1992
Chief Warrant Officer Michael S. Duskin, 42, of Orange Park, Fla., died Oct. 23, in Chak District, Wardak Province, Afghanistan, from small arms fire while on dismounted patrol during combat operations. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. He attended Middleburg High School. Duskin enlisted as a forward observer in the U.S. Army in 1993. After completion of his initial training, to include the U.S. Army Airborne School, he was assigned to the 3rd Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment. After serving three years with the 75th Ranger Regt., Duskin left active duty and later joined the Florida National Guard. He attended the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in August 1998. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 3rd Bn., 20th SFG (A) as a Special Forces engineer sergeant.
Spc. Brittany B. Gordon, 24, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died Oct. 13, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked her unit with an improvised explosive device. She was assigned to the 572 Military Intelligence Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Brittany is a 2006 graduate of St. Petersburg High School and the daughter of St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Cedric Gordon. She is known for her determination, her smile, and her passion for helping others. Brittany had just celebrated her 24th birthday and was only months away from coming back home. She graduated from basic training in 2010, spent a year in Seattle, and was then sent to Afghanistan. Spc. Gordon entered the Army in January 2010 and reported to Fort Jackson, S.C. for Army Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Huachuca, A.Z., in MOS 35F (Intelligence Analyst). She arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in August 2010 and was assigned to the 572nd Military Intelligence Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. She deployed to Afghanistan with her brigade in April 2012. This was her first deployment. Spc. Gordon’s civilian and military education includes an Associates in Art, General Studies (2011) and Military Occupational Specialty 35F: Intelligence Analyst (2010). Her awards and decorations include Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal. Sunset Memory Gardens.
Warrant Officer Joseph L. Schiro, 27, of Coral Springs, Fla., They died Oct. 6 in Chak district, Wardak Province, Afghanistan, of gunshot wounds suffered while on dismounted patrol. He was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C. Shiro was on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan. Schiro enlisted in the Army in June 2004 as an airborne infantryman. After completing his initial Infantry and Airborne training at Fort Benning, Ga., he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg. While with the 3rd Bn., Schiro deployed to Iraq for six months in 2006. Schiro volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selection upon his return to Fort Bragg, and was selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course. He graduated in March 2008 and was assigned to the 1st Bn., 3rd SFG (A), as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant. After serving on three deployments to Afghanistan with the 1st Bn., Schiro attended the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course. He graduated in May and was assigned as an assistant detachment commander in Company B. His military education includes U.S. Army Airborne School, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School, Warrior Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, Modern Army Combatives Level One, Special Forces Intelligence Sergeant’s Course, Advanced Special Operations Techniques Course, Special Forces Warrant Officer Certification Course, Special Forces Detachment Leader’s Course, and the Special Forces Qualification Course. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2), the Army Commendation Medal (2), the Army Achievement Medal (2), the Army Good Conduct Medal (2), the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 3 Campaign Stars, the Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Campaign Stars, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Parachutist Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
Chief Warrant Officer Brian D. Hornsby, 37, of Melbourne, Fla., assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He died Aug. 16 in a helicopter crash northeast of Kandahar, Afghanistan. Brian joined the Army September 15, 1998 and became a UH-60 Pilot March 11, 2003. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Hornsby’s awards and decorations include the Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal and the Senior Army Aviator Badge. This was his second deployment. He was married with two children. ANC
Staff Sgt. Matthew S. Sitton, 26, of Largo, Fla., died Aug. 2, in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C. Matt was scheduled to return home in a month. SSgt Sitton joined the Army on March 2, 2006 as an Infantryman, attending Basic Training and Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga. and joined 4th Brigade in August 2007. This was his second combat deployment to Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Sitton’s accomplishments and training include Airborne School, Long Range Reconnaissance Course, U.S. Army Ranger Course, U.S. Army Sniper School, Warrior’s Leader Course and Advanced Leader’s Course. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal with one knot, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Ribbon with the numeral two, the NATO medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge.