Rescue Airmen attend remembrance ceremony for Khobar Towers attack

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Leslie Forshaw
  • 920th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Rescue Wing members honored five Rescue Airmen and 14 other Airmen killed in the Khobar Towers terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia 17 years ago.

"We lost 5 members of our "Rescue Family" on June 25, 1996. Our thoughts and prayers remain with their families, friends and comrades--they are not forgotten," said Col. Jeffrey Macrander, 920th Rescue Wing Commander.

On June 25, 1996, per official statement, individuals identified as members of Hizballah Al-Hijaz by the U.S. exploded a fuel truck near an eight-story building which housed U.S. Air Force personnel from the 4404th Wing (Provisional), primarily from the 1st Rescue group and a deployed fighter squadron.

In all, 19 U.S. servicemen and one Saudi were killed and 372 of many nationalities were wounded. Several of the wounded are current members of the 920th RQW.

The fallen are:
Master Sgt. Michael G. Heiser, Palm Coast, Fla.
Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Johnson, Shreveport, La.
AIC Justin R. Wood, Modesto, Calif.
Capt. Christopher J. Adams, Massapequa Park, N.Y
Capt. Leland T.Haun, Clovis, Calif.

The 920th RQW is an Air Force Reserve combat-search-and-rescue unit which performs more than 20 percent of the Air Force's CSAR mission. The Wing is comprised of 1,700 Airmen and flies both fixed and rotor wing aircraft: the HC-130P/N extended-range Hercules and the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter.

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