Air Force agents killed in the line of duty in Iraq
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Release Number: 021107
11/2/2007 - ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. -- Special Agents Thomas Crowell, David Wieger, and Nathan Schuldheiss from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations were killed in the line of duty in Balad, Iraq, Thursday.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Airmen and a Department of the Air Force civilian who were deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died Nov. 1 near Balad Air Base, Iraq, of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device. All were assigned as Special Agents to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
Killed were Master Sgt. Thomas A. Crowell, 36, of Neosho, Mo.; Staff Sgt. David A. Wieger, 28, of North Huntingdon, Pa.; and Nathan J. Schuldheiss, 27, of Newport, Rhode Island.
Sergeant Crowell was assigned to Detachment 301, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Sergeant Wieger was assigned to Detachment 303, Travis AFB, Calif. and Mr. Schuldheiss was assigned to Detachment 204, Offutt AFB, Neb.
"I know, without a doubt, that Tom, Dave and Nate would want one thing... for us to continue the right fight; to keep the mission focused and to continue to take the fight to our enemy. That's what they did every day and that is what they were doing when this tragic event happened. We must honor that passion and their sacrifice," Brigadier General Dana A. Simmons, AFOSI commander said.
"Despite this adversity, we must not lose focus of the fact that these brave men paid the ultimate sacrifice yesterday, so that we can continue the fight and protect the freedoms of our way of life and our loved ones. We must never forget them or what they did. We must honor them by moving forward. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the three families," said Gen. Simmons.
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While their deaths are a considerable loss to AFOSI, SA's Nathan Schuldheiss and Daniel J. Kuhlmeier (KIA 20 February 2006) were both from Detachment 204 at Offut AFB, Nebraska, which brings things very close to home for that unit. For an agency as small and tightly-knit as AFOSI, the 7 SA's who have given their lives in the War on Terror since 2004 is significant.
May they all Rest In Peace and may their respective families find comfort.