A 28-year-old airman serving with an Air Force Special Operations Command squadron has died in an undisclosed location and the circumstances of the death are being investigated, the Pentagon announced.
Staff Sgt. Tristen Wright, 28, of Palm Bay, Florida, died Aug. 15 in a “noncombat-related incident at an undisclosed location,” the Pentagon said in a statement over the weekend. He was with the 27th Special Operations Wing out of Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico.
An additional statement from Cannon Air Force Base said that Wright joined the service on Aug. 23, 2016, and had been assigned to the 27th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron as a materiel management specialist since 2019. Prior to that, he was with the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan.
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Wright, according to the Pentagon, was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve — the military’s fight against the Islamic State in Iraq, Syria and Libya that has stretched on for a decade. His death is under investigation.
Novolia Wright, the airman’s mother, told Military.com in a brief phone interview Monday that she didn’t want to comment on her son’s manner of death but took a moment to remember his character and kindness.
“His legacy will continue,” Novolia Wright told Military.com. “His life spoke for itself.”
His father, Ricky Wright, served in the Marine Corps, NBC’s Orlando affiliate WESH 2 reported. When he received the news, the airman’s dad was not expecting to hear that his son had passed away.
“In my mind, I was thinking, well, maybe he got hurt and is recovering, and I wouldn’t expect them to tell me that he had passed, and that’s what shocked me. It’s devastating,” Ricky Wright told the news station.
Leadership at Cannon Air Force Base issued a statement saying Wright inspired the airmen who served alongside him.
“He was the kind of supervisor who took the privilege of leading and mentoring airmen seriously,” Maj. Brent Escay, the 27th Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, said in a statement. “He cared deeply for the airmen in his flight and volunteered actively within the local community. We’ll never forget how his infectious smile could light up a room.”
The airman’s decorations include an Air and Space Force Commendation Medal; an Air Force Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters and “C” devices; an Air Force Good Conduct Medal with one oak leaf cluster; a Global War on Terrorism Medal; and a National Defense Service Medal, according to Cannon Air Force Base.
“These are our most difficult days. Tristen had a positive impact across the entire Cannon family and local community,” Col. Robert Johnston, the 27th Special Operations Wing commander, said in a statement. “We are committed to taking care of Tristen’s family and teammates affected by this tragedy. His family and friends remain in our thoughts and prayers.”
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