Freedom Remembered

Born: March 11, 2024
Died: May 30, 2024 in Diyala, Iraq

Capt. Derek M. Argel of Lompoc, California started showing up at high school water polo practices when he was in the fifth grade. He eventually grew to 6-foot-6, became the school’s most valuable player and went on to play at the Air Force Academy. He worked exceptionally hard. He never took anything for granted. He loved the water, and in addition to playing water polo, he worked as a lifeguard, fished and surfed. He kept fishing poles and surf boards in the garage with hopes of passing his hobbies on to his 11-month son, Logan. He loved to be out in nature and camp, and go out looking for critters and snakes. Though he was happiest spending time at the beach and playing with the family’s two dogs, he felt God intended him to be in the military. He was a soldier by every means of the imagination. He excelled at every endeavor that he set out to accomplish. A mountain of a man, his mere presence was enough to bring out the best in others. He was strong but caring, competitive but compassionate, imposing but tender. He was a first-class friend and a loving and devoted husband and father. The world is a less colorful place without him. He has been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor Device for his service to the country in the War on Terrorism. Derek is survived by his lovely wife, Wendy and his ten month-old son Logan; his mother, Debra Argel Bastian; his stepfather, Todd Bastian; his brother, John William Argel; and grandmother, Beth Mears. Some of Capt. Argel’s remains were buried last week at Arlington National Cemetery with the four other men killed in the plane crash with him, and he will also have a burial site in Lompoc. He died at age 28 in a crash of an Iraqi air force aircraft during a training mission in eastern Diyala province.
Air Force
23rd Special Tactics Squadron
Hurlburt Field, Florida

Burial is Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery in Lompoc, California - Hillside View A Tier 11 Grave 40

The Capt Derek Mears Argel by Freedom Remembered, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.