In memoriam

Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Darren E. Tate, an individual augmentee assigned to Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan, died of pneumonia on July 8 at Bagram.

Another sailor was assigned the duty, but Darren accepted it instead because his friend’s wife was experiencing complications from pregnancy and Darren told him he would take his place. ... He persuaded his mother to mail about a dozen boxes of clothes to him in Afghanistan so he could distribute them to farmers he had befriended.

He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star. Godspeed, AOAN Tate.

Update: July was not a good month for CSTC-A: on July 6 another IA to CSTC-A, EOD2 Tony Michael Randolph, was killed by an IED.