Photo By Staff Sgt. Destinee Sweeney | U.S. Air Force Maj. Kristen M. Torma, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS)...... read more read more
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Dozens of people are gathered in the large, open space of a hangar near the Shaw flightline; the cool gray of the building’s metal and concrete interior is softened by the warmth of overflowing emotion as members of the 20th Fighter Wing gather to mourn one of their own.
The 20th FW hosted a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Austin Terrell, 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron armament technician, at the 20th AMXS weapons load barn, April 7, honoring his military service and celebrating his 24 years of life.
Terrell, who was killed in a vehicle collision March 25, was described by his coworkers as a genuine guy who exuded a quiet confidence and was full of surprises.
Tech. Sgt. Christopher Brooks, 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron support NCO in charge and Terrell’s supervisor, said one of his favorite memories of Terrell takes him back to late 2014 when the two deployed to Jordan together.
"After we'd been there for a while we got kind of bored," recalled Brooks. "I mentioned how back in the day people used to buy pet rocks and he thought that was hilarious. We started going out into the desert, collecting rocks, and gluing googly eyes to them and drawing little smiles with messages like ‘have a nice day.’
“At the end of our shift, we’d load them into Terrell’s backpack and walk back to the compound where we lived. He’d go around to random strangers’ rooms and place a pet rock outside their doors so they’d have a little surprise to feel better about being deployed.
“That’s the kind of guy he was; he would do little things like that for other people all the time.”
In addition to boosting morale, Terrell was proficient in his primary duties as an armament technician, earning promotion to the rank of staff sergeant on his first attempt.
"He was a really hard worker," said Senior Airman Preston Archer, 20th EMS armament support technician. “He was good at what he did and he never complained, he was always willing to do what he had to in order to get the job done."
Although Terrell passed before assuming the rank of staff sergeant, he was posthumously promoted at a base promotion ceremony March 31 where Brooks accepted the promotion certificate on his behalf and wing leadership honored him with a final salute.
"It was a powerful moment and very emotional," said Brooks. "In the 18 years I've been in the Air Force, I've never been to a promotion ceremony where someone was being posthumously recognized and I had no idea what to expect. It was very humbling to see how, without any prompting, everybody in the room stood to honor him and remained completely silent until I had left the room. It wasn't scripted, it just happened.
"It was incredible to see people show that much honor and respect for somebody and I know it meant a lot to his family as well.”
At the memorial service, Terrell was also posthumously awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for meritorious achievement while deployed, such as safeguarding a $130 million munitions storage area and repairing six defective surface-to-air missile systems in support of Operation Noble Eagle.
Terrell is survived by his husband, Dallas Sanford. He will be remembered as a loving husband, a caring friend, and a hardworking Airman who met every challenge head-on with determination and a smile.
"In the three years I knew him, he went from someone who was sort of timid and shy to someone who would actively engage with his peers and be excited to take on new challenges," said Brooks. "As his supervisor and his friend it was incredible to see him grow into himself and build that confidence.
“He was just a really, really good guy, and you can't ask for much more in a person."
| Date Taken: | 04.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.07.2017 15:50 |
| Story ID: | 229613 |
| Location: | SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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