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Military, News
Ratchet 33 aircrew remembered during memorial ceremony
HURLBURT FIELD-More than 900 Air Commandos, fellow special operations service members, civilians and families gathered to remember four fallen Airmen during a ceremony at the air park Feb. 16.
Capt. Ryan P. Hall from the 319th Special Operations Squadron, Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock and 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens from the 34th Special Operations Squadron and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten from the 25th Intelligence Squadron died Feb. 18, 2012, when their U-28A was involved in an accident near Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, located in the Horn of Africa.
Lt. Col.Matthew Norton, left, commander of the 25th Intelligence Squadron, Lt. Col. Erick Turasz, center, commander of the 34th Special Operations Squadron, and Capt. Josiah Rawlings, acting commander of the 319th SOS, unveil the Ratchet 33 memorial plaque during memorial ceremony at the air park, Hurlburt Field, Fla., Feb. 16, 2017. Ratchet 33 was a U-28A intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance aircraft crewed by four Air Commandos that crashed in Djibouti, Africa, Feb. 18, 2012. The aircrew was comprised of Capt. Ryan Hall, Capt. Nicholas Whitlock, 1st Lt. Justin Wilkens and Senior Airman Julian Scholten. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick)
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