Mackey, Herman Iii
Male
Verified Technical Sergeant Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, California, was a U.S. Air Force airman assigned to the 93d Air Refueling Squadron. He was killed in a vehicle accident near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, on May 3, 2013.
Their Story
Technical Sergeant Herman Mackey III was a 30-year-old U.S. Air Force airman from Bakersfield, California. He was assigned to the 93d Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington state. The squadron operates KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft used for aerial refueling.
Mackey died on May 3, 2013, in a non-combat related vehicle accident. The incident occurred near the village of Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, according to a U.S. Department of Defense news release. He was reportedly part of a security forces team supporting the air refueling mission at the Transit Center at Manas, a key logistical hub.
His death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in Afghanistan in October 2001. The Transit Center at Manas in Kyrgyzstan served as a critical staging point for troops and cargo moving into and out of Afghanistan for over a decade.
The Air Force notified Mackey's next of kin. He was posthumously promoted from Staff Sergeant to the rank of Technical Sergeant. Official statements from the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing and the 93d Air Refueling Squadron expressed condolences to his family and colleagues.
Mackey is remembered by his unit as a dedicated security forces airman. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan and Iraq War Memorial at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Bakersfield, California.
Explore Further
TSgt Mackey was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
