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Pope remembers fallen Airman

  • Published
  • By 43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Tech. Sgt. William Jefferson, 21st Special Tactics Squadron, died March 22 near Sperwan Ghar, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Sergeant Jefferson died from wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. 

He began his military career as a Marine in 1992, enlisting for four years following high school before enlisting in the Air Force in 1996.

In 1996, Sergeant Jefferson was stationed at Pope with the 21st STS after completing the Combat Control pipeline. He spent almost five years as part of silver team before moving into a highly coveted position in the Squadron's Integrated Survey Program office. 

After two years in the office as an expert surveyor, he was chosen to become an instructor at the Combat Control School at Pope. His performance there fostered a new crop of young and aspiring Airmen, which significantly contributed to the increase in number of Combat Control training graduates. 

Sergeant Jefferson returned to the 21st STS in 2006, serving in the operations staff as head of exercise and plans responsible for all Joint Force Entry Exercises. He then deployed in October 2006 in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. 

In September 2007, Sergeant Jefferson received distinguish graduate honors from the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. 

He deployed again in January 2008, this time in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, as part of a unit conducting operations in Afghanistan. 

In his career, Sergeant Jefferson received the Bronze Star medal, the Purple Heart, Air Force Commendation Medal with Valor, Air Force Achievement Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Global War on Terrorism Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal.