Ruffner, Matthew Paul

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Paul Ruffner was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot serving with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 28th Combat Aviation Brigade. He was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks.

On April 9, 2013, Ruffner was piloting an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter on a mission in the Pachir Wa Agam district of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province. The district, near the border with Pakistan, was an area of significant insurgent activity.

According to U.S. Department of Defense reports, the helicopter crashed that day. The incident occurred in what was described by military officials as a 'non-combat related' aviation accident. An investigation into the cause of the crash was conducted.

Ruffner was 34 years old at the time of his death. A native of Trafford, Pennsylvania, he was a member of Company B, 1st Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment. His death was recorded by the Defense Casualty Analysis System on the day of the crash.

Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan formally concluded in December 2014, transitioning to the follow-on mission Operation Freedom's Sentinel. Ruffner's death occurred in the final years of the original operation.

He is remembered among the more than 2,400 U.S. service members who died during the conflict in Afghanistan. His service, and the circumstances of his loss, reflect the persistent dangers of military aviation operations in a combat theater.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan in which CW3 Ruffner served, 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.

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