Freedom Remembered

Born June 10, 1973
Died: October 26, 2009 in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan

CWO Michael P. Montgomery of Savannah, Georgia was a native of Redmond, Washington. He volunteered for Army service in October of 1991. After serving four years in the Army National Guard as an enlisted Soldier, Montgomery was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Alabama in 1995. Upon graduation from flight school in 1996, Michael was assigned to 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment at Camp Murray, Washington as an aviation life support equipment officer (ALSE) and instructor pilot. In 2003, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment as the ALSE and tactical operations officer. In October 2004, he was assigned to the Western Army National Guard Aviation Training Site (WAATS) in Arizona as a senior instructor pilot and instrument flight examiner. After a successful assessment in 2006, Montgomery was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) in Savannah, Ga., as an electronic warfare officer. Montgomery earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 2002. He was a combat veteran with seven deployments, two in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and five in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His military training includes the Warrant Officer Candidate School, the Aviation Warrant Officer Basic Course, the Aviation Warrant Officer Advanced Course, the Aviation Tactical Operations Course, U. S. Air Force Survival Service Training Course, the UH-60 Aviator Qualification Course, the OH-58 and CH-47 Instructor Pilot Courses, the Rotary Wing Instructor Flight Examiner course, the Aviation Safety Officers Course, the Warrant Officer Orientation Course, the Total Army Instructor Training Course and the Action Officer Development Course. Montgomery’s awards include the Air Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, four Army Reserve Component Achievement Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, and Senior Aviator Badge. He was proud to serve his country as a Nightstalker aviator, performing the most challenging and dangerous training and missions in support of US Special Operations, and living the motto that “Nightstalkers Don’t Quit”. Michael is survived by his wife and son, Anita and Riley Montgomery; and his mother, Mary Montgomery, his father Mark Montgomery and brother Merrill. Michael died at age 36 of wounds suffered when the MH-47 helicopter they were aboard crashed in Darreh-ye Bum, Afghanistan. Also killed were Sgt. 1st Class David E. Metzger, Staff Sgt. Keith R. Bishop, Chief Warrant Officer Niall Lyons, Staff Sgt. Shawn H. McNabb, Sgt. Josue E. Hernandez Chavez and Sgt. Nickolas A. Mueller.
Army
3rd Battalion
160th Special Operations Regiment (Airborne)
Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia

Burial is at Cedar Lawns Memorial Park in Redmond, Washington