From Mobile Press-Register:
Foley Air Force officer killed in Afghanistan Posted by Guy Busby, Staff Reporter May 26, 2009 3:34 PM
A Foley Air Force officer died Monday in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device exploded as his convoy was passing, family members said today. Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton, 35, died on Memorial Day in the bomb blast, his brother, Frankie Little of Mobile, said.
Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton, 39, a 1987 Foley High grad, died on Memorial Day in the bomb blast in Afghanistan, his brother, Frankie Little of Mobile, said today. Family members were notified of Stratton's death today, but had not received any more details, Little said. "He was a very, very God and country kind of guy, very into the Air Force and democracy and the United States, but at the same time, he was a very, very nice person, people just couldn't help but like him," Little said. "He was one of a kind and we still can't believe this happened."
Little said Stratton?s wife, Jennifer, and her three children live in Washington, D.C., where Stratton was stationed at the Pentagon before being sent to Afghanistan.
Stratton will be buried in Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, said his brother.
Little said Stratton had lived in Foley since he was 8, when their mother remarried and moved to the area.
After graduating from Foley High School in 1987, Stratton went on to graduate from Texas A&M University, said his stepgrandfather, Frank Little of Foley.
"He was a good man, a good boy," Frank Little said. "This whole thing just seems so unnecessary, the waste."
Frank Little said his stepgrandson had rapidly moved up to positions of responsibility in the Air Force.
Stratton was commander of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team. The group was building a road in the Panjshir Valley in north central Afghanistan, according to an Air Force statement released in April.
The roughly $28 million project will provide access to the isolated mountain area about 100 miles northeast of Kabul, according to the Air Force.
Stratton moved to Foley when he was 8 and graduated from Foley High School in 1987. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1991. Stratton will be buried in Arlington Cemetery. ------- From Free Republic:
"Panjshir PRT unites Airmen, Soldiers for common cause Air Force Link ^ | Staff Sgt. Zachary Wilson, USAF Posted on April 20, 2009 7:45:20 PM CDT by SandRat
4/20/2009 - FORWARD OPERATING BASE LION, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- A team of nearly 80 individuals, including 25 Airmen and 12 Soldiers, come together to perform a critical mission in Afghanistan's Panjshir Province.
All of the servicemembers come from different walks of life, but now come together to help the impoverished province. One year ago, Staff Sgt. David Nielsen was repairing military vehicles at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.; U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Kelley was an Army Reserve Soldier serving with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in Upland, Calif.; and Lt. Col. Mark Stratton was serving with Joint Headquarters at the Pentagon.
They are members of the Panjshir Provisional Reconstruction Team who work with the local government officials, U.S. State and Agriculture Department civilians, U. S. Agency for International Development representatives and a 25-member mujahedeen security detail to assist the people to rebuild the province.
"This has been an amazing experience," said Colonel Stratton, Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team commander and a RC-135 Cobra Ball navigator. "Not knowing what to expect every day, I have to work face-to-face with a lot of people. Flying over an area (at altitude) can make you feel a little detached. Being down here on the ground is very rewarding and I am proud to be working with the other professionals here."
The PRT is made up of a blend of Airmen and Soldiers. The servicemembers trained for three months at a combat skills training site at Fort Bragg, N.C., while preparing for their 270-day deployment. They learned the skills they would need, not only to operate in a wartime environment, but also work together as a team. They are solely responsible for their own convoy operations while traveling through Afghanistan..." ------- Comments/Citation ---------- The family of Lt Col Stratton has given PGR the honor to participate in services for this hero. On Sat Jun 6th, PGR will stage and POST an Honor Flag Line at Covenant Funeral Home in Stafford during visitation. On Sun Jun 7th, PGR will stage and POST an Honor Flag Line at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Stafford during the memorial service. PGR will stand in honor of this hero at ANC on 09 Jun
Sat, 6 Jun Visitation Flag Line
Stage: 1500 hrs Covenant Funeral Services (1310 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA) Brief: 1515 hrs Honors: 1530 hrs Honor Flag Line at Funeral Home (1600-1800) Debrief: 1800 hrs Family departs, Mission complete
Sun, 7 Jun Memorial Service Flag Line
Stage: 1400 hrs Mount Ararat Baptist Church (65 Toluca Rd, Stafford, VA) Brief: 1415 hrs Honors: 1430 hrs Honor Flag Line at Funeral Home (1500-1700) Debrief: 1700 hrs Family departs, Mission complete
Arlington National Cemetery Burial: All details TBD Tues, 9 Jun, 11 a.m.
Ride Captain: Robbie Smart 540-841-7272 cell
Iron Horses preferred, cages welcome as always. Large hand-held flags desired for Honor Flag Line. Mission weather is forecast as Partly Cloudy with a high of 81.
---------- From AFA:
Two Airmen Killed in Afghanistan:
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that two airmen died May 26 of wounds received from an improvised explosive device near Bagram AB, Afghanistan.
Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton II, 39, had deployed from the Joint Staff at the Pentagon to Afghanistan, where he had been serving as commander of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team, according to an April 8 American Forces Press Service article .
SrA. Ashton L. M. Goodman, 21, of Indianapolis had deployed to Afghanistan from the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C. According to an Air Force News Service article Goodman wrote, she also was serving with the Panjshir PRT. (A Pope Air Force Base release notes that she is the fourth airman from that base to die in action since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Mobile Press-Register reports that Stratton grew up in Foley, Ala., leaving in 1987 to attend Texas A&M University. ------- From WKRG.com
Foley Airman Killed In Afghanistan
Last Updated: Tue, May 26, 2009 - 7:12 pm
By: Pat Peterson
Air Force Lt. Colonel Mark Stratton step-father Buddy York talked to us about his family's loss.
"Mark was just an all around wonderful person," says York. "The three things that were more important to him were God, his family and the military."
The Foley High School graduate, husband and father of three was killed in Afghanistan on Memorial Day while leading a convoy from a U-S command center to a remote air base miles away.
"I just talked to his wife, Jennifer and she's heart-broken. She just lost a husband and a father."
There are conflicting reports of how Stratton died. The Associated Press reports Stratton was killed in a suicide bombing when a car loaded with explosives slammed into the convoy. But York says he received a letter from the Pentagon stating Stratton died when his Jeep hit an "IED." Stratton family says regardless of how he died, they're proud of his military accomplishments and will miss him.
"He died doing what he wanted to do." ------ From Air Force Times:
Roadside bomb kills PRT commander, airman By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer Posted : Thursday May 28, 2009 17:42:55 EDT Senior Airman Ashton L.M. Goodman was 21 years old and in the Air Force for less than three years; Lt. Col. Mark E. Stratton came up through the ranks as a navigator and left his Pentagon desk job for a year in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, both died when a roadside bomb exploded as they drove in Afghanistan near Bagram Airfield.
Also killed in the bombing was Army 1st Sgt. Blue C. Rowe.
Goodman, a vehicle operator dispatcher, was assigned to the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team and deployed from the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. She grew up in Indianapolis.
Stratton, 39, commanded the PRT. He was deployed from the Joint Staff?s plans and program office at the Pentagon, an Air Force spokesman said.
Blue, 33, deployed from the Army Reserve?s 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in Upland, Calif., the Pentagon said.
Provincial reconstruction teams specialize in helping Afghan communities with development projects such as building roads and schools, expanding medical services and providing electrical power. Panjshir Province is located in the mountains north of Bagram Airfield.
A Pope spokesman said Goodman enlisted in July 2006 and arrived at the base in October 2006. She had already been on one deployment prior to joining the Panjshir team in June 2008 for a yearlong stay in Afghanistan.
She had recently asked to extend her tour, recalled Pope Master Sgt. Jason Neisen. ?I want to deploy because I enjoy it and I feel like I?m really serving my country and helping people,? Neisen recalled Goodman telling him.
Goodman was also interested in an assignment with U.S. Africa Command
Outside the Air Force, she enjoyed pets ? two cats and three fish that stayed home. A long-term goal was to become a veterinarian.
?We will all feel sorrow as a result of her death, but should celebrate in how she chose to live her life, her commitment and dedication,? said Col. John McDonald, 43rd Airlift Wing commander.
Before starting the Pentagon staff post, Stratton flew as a senior navigator onboard RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft. On the Joint Staff, he served as an executive assistant for the deputy director for politico-military affairs-Asia.
Stratton?s Air Force career began in 1992 after receiving his commission through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and graduating from Texas A&M University in 1991.
He was raised in Foley, Ala.
Stratton?s survivors include a wife and three children in the Washington area.
?Mark was just an all around wonderful person,? Stratton?s step-father, Buddy York, told WKRG-TV. ?The three things that were more important to him were God, his family and the military.? -------- Master Sgt. Roderick Israel kisses the dog tags of Lt. Col. Mark Stratton during a May 31 memorial at Forward Operating Base Lion, Afghanistan. More than 75 American servicemembers and Afghan leaders attended the ceremony to honor Colonel Stratton, Army Master Sgt. Blue Rowe, Senior Airman Ashton Goodman and Abdul Samad who were killled when their convoy vehicle was struck by a suicide car bomber May 26. Sergeant Israel is a member of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Jason Lake)
Posted 6/4/2009 Updated 6/4/2009 Email story Print story
by Staff Sgt. Jason Lake 455th Air Expeditionary Wing
6/4/2009 - BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- The dining facility at Forward Operating Base Lion where Airmen and Soldiers typically exchanged stories and laughter was instead filled with reminiscing and tears as the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team honored four of its fallen comrades May 31.
Lt. Col. Mark Stratton, the team's commander, along with Army Master Sgt. Blue Rowe, Senior Airman Ashton Goodman and Abdul Samad were killed May 26 when a suicide car bomber detonated alongside their convoy vehicle in Kapisa Province north of Bagram Airfield.
More than 75 teammates and local Afghan leaders, including Panjshir's Governor Haji Bahlol, gathered at the small forward operating base to share stories and remember the sacrifice of their friends who worked to improve life for Afghans in their neighboring communities.
"The Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team is a small, close team," said Tom Kelsey, the PRT's director and U.S. Department of State representative, of the unit located in the Hindu Kush mountain range roughly 40 miles north of Bagram Airfield. "We all knew these heroes in different ways."
Colonel Stratton, who received his commission in 1992 through ROTC at Texas A&M University, volunteered to deploy for the PRT mission from a plans and programs position on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
"He believed in his mission of helping the Afghan people," explained Mr. Kelsey who spoke on his behalf. "He often told me and others that this was the best, most rewarding job of his Air Force career."
Mr. Kelsey recounted how the native of Foley, Ala., strongly believed that the team's centerpiece project to construct a $28 million, 40-mile road through Panjshir to the neighboring northern province of Badakhshan would dramatically improve life for the Afghans.
"He loved talking to the people of Panjshir about the PRT's mission so much that I sometimes worried our interpreters would collapse from exhaustion," Mr. Kelsey said lightheartedly. "(He firmly believed) 'Where the road goes, development will follow' ... especially on the 'road to Badakhshan.'"
While Colonel Stratton guided the team's strategic mission, Sergeant Rowe focused on the human relations aspect of bonding Soldiers and Airmen together for an atypical mission. Before arriving at FOB Lion, Sergeant Rowe served temporarily as the unit's first sergeant during three months of integration training at Fort Bragg, N.C.
"We were short a first sergeant and he stepped up and started to integrate the team (of Airmen and Soldiers)," explained Army Lt. Col. Steve Lancaster, who previously served as the team's civil military operations center chief before becoming the new commander. "He did everything possible to develop his subordinates to be everything they were capable of. After we arrived here, he turned in his diamond and assumed a support position without question or complaint. He was a consummate noncommissioned officer."
The colonel said the Army reservist and civil affairs NCO deployed from the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in Upland, Calif., became infamous just days before his death for his ability to devour a cherry pie in six minutes during a pie-eating contest. The native of Whittier, Calif., was also well known for his devotion to physical fitness and conditioning the team for the rigors of working in the mountains.
"He was loved and respected by everyone who knew him. He was funny and a likeable person," Colonel Lancaster recalled of the 15-year veteran. "When one of his young sergeants was doing pushups to the point of exhaustion, Blue told him 'I'm only making you do this because I love you and you need the training.' No one doubted him."
No one doubted Airman Goodman's passion either. Just a few days after gathering all the airman's belongings to send home to her family, Capt. Stacie Shafran, the team's public affairs officer, reflected on the 21-year-old's can-do spirit.
"She had such a sense of urgency to do it all right now that's common in people of her young age," the captain said of the team's vehicle operator deployed from the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C. "On May 18, she led a tremendous undertaking to deliver much-needed food and supplies to more than 100 poor women in the Shutol district. I'll never forget how proud she was. As she drove us up the narrow, steep, winding road to the village, she beamed with excitement over the chance to personally help these women."
"Master Sgt. Limweshe Wright (the PRT's chief of vehicle maintenance) labeled the maintenance section like a family," said Senior Airman Carl Savoy, also deployed from the 43rd LRS. "'Where's your sister?' as he would commonly refer to her ... and though at first I didn't like that label, Ashton was really like a sister to me. We could bug each other about anything. My 'little sister' was just shy of her 22nd birthday. Even before this attack, I knew I could never forget Ashton Goodman."
Looking back at their time spent with the team's Afghan legal adviser, Airmen and Soldiers alike remembered Abdul Samad as a man who fought bravely to defend his homeland simply using the power of words. The team said he believed in the spirit of a free Afghanistan and gave his life defending that dream. Mr. Kelsey also commented on his quest to personally contact President Barack Obama.
"Samad was always cheerful and full of good ideas about how to enhance our mission in Afghanistan," Mr. Kelsey said of the former Panjshir judge. "In fact, I understand he even tried to start an e-mail dialogue with President Obama in order to share his ideas. While I don't think the president ever found time in his schedule to write back, he probably would have benefited from Samad's insights as an unofficial presidential adviser."
Mr. Kelsey said all four members contributed in their own way to the rest of the team working together to build schools, medical clinics, roads and other projects to bring peace, security and stability to the people of Panjshir and the rest of Afghanistan.
"Our task now is to honor Mark Stratton, Blue Rowe, Ashton Goodman and Abdul Samad by continuing the work they gave their lives for," he said. "They would want us to and we owe them that. The greatest and most enduring memorial to our heroes is the work they have left behind for the benefit of the people in this valley. We will finish the work that our fallen heroes came here to do because there is no higher honor we can bestow upon them."
https://www.aggienetwork.com/media/guides/texas%20aggie/inmemoriam/ltc-mark-stratton-91.pdf
|