81 SFS honors fallen Airmen with new memorial

by Airman 1st Class Stephan Coleman
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

4/14/2014 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The 81st Security Forces Squadron unveiled its memorial to fallen Airmen defenders April 11, in the guard mount room of the SFS headquarters building.

The memorial honors all nine security forces Airmen who lost their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom:

1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton; Tech. Sgt. Jason L. Norton; Staff Sgts. Todd James Lobriaco, John T. Self, Brian S. McElroy, and Travis L. Griffin; Senior Airmen Nicholas J. Alden and Jason D. Nathan, and Airmen 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson and Leebernard E. Chavis,

"We talk about a tradition of honor and a legacy of valor," said Tech. Sgt. Vincent Brasher, 81st SFS. "This is it. The memorial speaks for itself."

The new display is a "fallen soldier battlefield cross," which consists of a standing rifle with a helmet and dog tags adorning it, and boots at the base. The biographies of the deceased Airmen are mounted on the wall being the memorial.

All aspects of the new addition to the room, including a new paint job, were donated or paid for by fundraising among the security forces squadron, said Major Brian Fitzpatrick, 81st SFS commander.

The idea, put forward by Senior Master Sgt. Robert Degennaro, came from his time stationed overseas.

Degennaro explains that he needed a project to instill pride in an Airman who was dealing with a hard time. The project was originally just to display the photos of fallen security forces Airmen, but became something more as it was worked on.

"She kept coming to me and asking to do more, and I told her to run with it," said Degennaro. "She told me afterward that reading the biographies of the fallen Airmen made her reflect on how her own troubles weren't so bad."

Enlisting the help of Airmen 1st Class Joseph Prescott, Airman 1st ClassAlec Blackmon and Senior Airman Kevin Rozas, Brasher took donations from security forces personnel and other base agencies to build Keesler's own memorial. They acquired the helmet and boots from a recently retired Airman and the display weapon from combat arms training and management.

Several security force Airmen had stories of who they knew on the wall, either from being deployed or training together.

The guard mount room is used by flight sergeants to conduct roll calls, inspect the flight members, disseminate information and ensure each security forces member is fit for duty. The memorial will be visible to all SFS Airmen before starting their shift.

"We always talk about history, heritage, and try to make it apply to everyday life," said Chief Master Sgt. Farrell Thomas, 81st Training Wing command chief. "Sometimes we go back to WWI and the Civil War, but these are Airmen we can relate to. These are Airmen we knew."

Every day Airmen put your life at risk, whether deployed or at home. The memorial is a testament to their efforts, said Thomas.

The security forces memorial will be a daily call to Airmanship for security forces personnel.

"When I greet new Airmen, I try to impress upon them to aspire toward Airmanship, to embrace our heritage and our core values," said Col. Rene Romero, 81st TRW vice commander. "That means doing the right thing each and every day."

"This is a great example of that," he added. "It's telling these Airmen's story. It's a sad thing when we've lost folks that we know, we wish that that didn't have to happen. It's a reminder that we never know when our time is up, so it's our charge to live each day honorably."