The Pentagon has confirmed that TSgt. Scott E. Duffman with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope AFB, N.C., was killed when a CH-47 helicopter on which he was a passenger crashed in Zabul Province in eastern Afghanistan Feb. 18. Duffman, 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., was one of eight coalition personnel killed in the crash. The 14 remaining personnel on board, including the aircrew, were wounded. According to a US Central Command release, the helicopter experienced a “sudden, unexplained loss of power and control.” Late Monday evening, coalition forces destroyed the wreckage after completing crash site inspections and recovery. An investigation into the cause is proceeding, using photographs and findings collected during recovery actions.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.