JBLM Airmen March 830 Miles To Honor Fallen Brethren

LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TX - Special Tactics Airmen from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) are among the 20 soldiers marching from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to Hurlburt Field, Florida, in honor of the ultimate sacrifice made by 20 other Special Tactics Airmen killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001.

The ruck march departed the Medina Annex at Lackland around 2 a.m. Feb. 22. The 830-mile trek is expected to take about 11 days before ending at Hurlburt around 1 p.m. March 4.

The march will pass through five states and symbolize the training passage made by Special Tactics Airmen, who begin their training at Lackland and graduate at Hurlburt Field.

"Historically, Air Force Special Tactics plans a memorial march when a member is killed in action," said officials from the 24th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs. "This is the fifth Special Tactics Memorial March since 2009 and since it originated as the 'Tim Davis Memorial March.' The march was renamed to honor all fallen Special Tactics Airmen in 2011 to the 'Special Tactics Memorial March.'"

The 20 marchers will break up into 10 groups of two Special Tactics Airmen. All 20 airmen will march the first 4.7 miles together before breaking up into their respective two-man teams. Throughout the duration of the march, each team will average roughly 12 miles per leg, with all marchers expected to cover a combined 70 miles per day.

Also throughout the march, the airmen will carry a baton inscribed with the names of the 20 fallen airmen being honored. Those airmen are:

• Master Sgt. William McDaniel of Greenville, Ohio, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Feb. 22, 2002;
• Staff Sgt. Juan Ridout of Oak Harbor, Washington, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Feb. 22, 2002;
• Master Sgt. John Chapman of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Mar. 4, 2002;
• Senior Airman Jason Cunningham of Camarillo, California, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Mar. 4, 2002;
• Staff Sgt. Scott Sather of Clio, Michigan, Special Tactics Combat Controller, April 8, 2003;
• Capt. Derek Argel of Lompoc, California, Special Tactics Officer, May 30, 2005;
• Capt. Jeremy Fresques of Clarksdale, Arizona, Special Tactics Officer, May 30, 2005;
• Staff Sgt. Casey Crate of Spanaway, Washington, Special Tactics Combat Controller, May 30, 2005;
• Senior Airman Adam Servais of Onalaska, Wisconsin, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Aug. 19, 2006;
• Technical Sgt. Scott Duffman of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Feb. 18, 2007;
• Technical Sgt. William Jefferson of Norfolk, Virginia, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Mar. 22, 2008;
• Staff Sgt. Timothy Davis of Aberdeen, Washington, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Feb. 20, 2009;
• Senior Airman Daniel Sanchez of El Paso, Texas, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Sep. 16, 2010;
• Senior Airman Mark Forester of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Sep. 29, 2010;
• Technical Sgt. John Brown of Tallahassee, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Aug. 6, 2011
• Technical Sgt. Daniel Zerbe of York, Pennsylvania, Special Tactics Pararescueman, Aug. 6, 2011;
• Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvell of Long Beach, California, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Aug. 6, 2011;
• Capt. Matthew Roland of Lexington, Kentucky, Special Tactics Officer, Aug. 26, 2015;
• Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley of Pensacola, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Aug. 26, 2015; and
• Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin of Hookstown, Pennsylvania, Special Tactics Combat Controller, Nov. 27, 2018.

According to the 24th Special Operations Wing, the Special Tactics Airmen are the most decorated Air Force community since the end of the Vietnam War. The community's commendations include one Medal of Honor, ten Air Force Crosses, and 44 Silver Stars.

There are roughly 1,000 Special Tactics Airmen working today, the 24th Special Operations Wing said.

Special Tactics is U.S. Special Operation Command’s tactical air and ground integration force, and the Air Force’s special operations ground force, leading Global Access, Precision Strike, Personnel Recovery and Battlefield Surgery operations on the battlefield.

A disciplined special operations force of hand-selected Airmen leading joint operations, Special Tactics Airmen are deliberate in their thoughts and actions to deliver solutions to the nation’s most complex military challenges.

They conduct global air, space, and cyber-enabled special operations across the spectrum of conflict to prepare for, fight, and win our nation’s wars.

Click here to follow the march in real time.

For updates, pictures, and videos, visit any of the following sites:

• Facebook - @AirForceSpecialTactics
• Instagram - air_force_special_tactics
• Twitter - @AFSpecOpsCmd
• www.airforcespecialtactics.af.mil
• www.dvidshub.net

Top image caption: Led by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sean Harvell, left, of Long Beach, Calif., airmen from from the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron march into an awards ceremony, Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. Harvell was awarded two Silver Star medals, the nation’s third highest decoration for valor, Thursday, for his combat actions while serving in Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)