The Defense Department identified the six airmen killed when their C-130 crashed just after taking off from Jalalabad Airport, Afghanistan, on Oct. 2. They are: Capt. Jonathan J. Golden, 33, of Camarillo, Calif.; Capt. Jordan B. Pierson, 28, of Abilene, Texas; SSgt. Ryan D. Hammond, 26, of Moundsville, W.V.; SrA. Quinn L. Johnson-Harris, 21, of Milwaukee, Wisc.; SrA. Nathan C. Sartain, 29, of Pensacola, Fla.; and A1C Kcey E. Ruiz, 21, of McDonough, Ga. Golden, Pierson, Hammond, and Johnson-Harris all were assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron at Dyess AFB, Texas, while Sartain and Ruiz were assigned to the 66th Security Forces Squadron at Hanscom AFB, Mass. During a fallen comrade ceremony in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Mitchell Spillers, commander of the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, called the lost crew “one of my best,” saying “they had a positive impact on everyone around them.” Though he offered his condolences, he also urged airmen to honor the fallen by remaining focused on the mission. “We’ve taken a blow, but I’m proud of the way we’ve come together and supported each other. That must continue,” Spillers said. “We’re a tactical airlift unit that provides a lifeline to our forces [that no one] else can. Our mission will continue and we must carry on. Jordan, JJ, Ryan, and JH all loved what we do, and would expect nothing less.”
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
