R.I.P. - Maj. Walter D. Gray

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualty
            The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            Maj. Walter D. Gray, 38, of Conyers, Ga., died Aug. 8 from injuries suffered during a suicide bomb attack in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

            Gray was assigned to the 13th Air Support Operations Squadron, Fort Carson, Colo.

            For more information media may contact the Air Force 23rd Wing/93rd Air Ground Operations Wing Public Affairs Office at 229-257-2400.

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Gray, 38, of Conyers, Ga., was a former enlisted airman who cross-trained to become one of the first air liaison officers in 1997. He was the career field’s second highest-ranking officer after serving for several years as an airfield operations officer.

He was known as “a tremendous officer and leader,” Col. Samuel Milam, commander of the 93rd Air Ground Operations Wing, said in a statement.

Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro, a tactical air control party instructor at Joint Base Lackland-San Antonio, said he had known Gray for 12 years, and was an instructor when Gray went through TACP school as an officer. Even though he had been through it before, Del Toro joked with him while he was training with the younger airmen, saying “you better keep up dude.”

“He liked to joke around, he was a joker,” Del Toro said. “He was very good for his buddies.”

Three others were killed in the Aug. 8 attack, including two soldiers and a contractor with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

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