Rushforth, Bruce Alan Jr
Male
Verified Staff Sergeant Bruce Alan Rushforth Jr., 35, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, was a U.S. Army soldier serving with Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. He was killed in action on February 22, 2002, near Basilan Island, Phili
Their Story
Staff Sergeant Bruce Alan Rushforth Jr. was a member of the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), known as the 'Night Stalkers.' The unit provides helicopter aviation support for special operations forces. In early 2002, elements of the regiment were deployed to the southern Philippines as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines, a mission to advise and assist local forces combating the Abu Sayyaf Group.
On February 21, 2002, a U.S. MH-47E Chinook helicopter from the 160th SOAR was conducting a mission over the waters near Basilan Island. The aircraft was reportedly supporting a joint U.S.-Philippine counterterrorism operation. The helicopter crashed into the sea, according to U.S. Department of Defense statements.
The crash resulted in the deaths of all ten U.S. service members on board. Rushforth was among those killed. The other nine fatalities included seven soldiers from the 160th SOAR and two airmen from the 353rd Special Operations Group. A subsequent investigation reportedly attributed the crash to mechanical failure.
The incident marked one of the largest single losses of U.S. life in the Philippine theater of Operation Enduring Freedom. Rushforth's death occurred just over four months after the broader conflict began in October 2001. He was 35 years old.
Rushforth was from Bridgewater, Massachusetts. His service with a specialized aviation regiment placed him in a unit with a high operational tempo during the initial phase of the global conflict. The mission in the Philippines represented an early, less-publicized front in the war against terrorist networks.
Explore Further
Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led global war on terrorism, concluded in December 2014, though combat operations in Afghanistan continued under different mission names. 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.
