Cannon airman killed in action in Afghanistan
An airman assigned to Cannon Air Force Base in eastern New Mexico was among three U.S. servicemen killed Tuesday in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin, 25, of Hookstown, Penn., was assigned to Cannon’s 26th Special Tactics Squadron.
Elchin, Army Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, 29, of Lexington, Va., and Army Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, of Brush Prairie, Wash., were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, according to the Defense Department.
Ross and Emond were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C..
Elchin was deployed to Afghanistan in August.
“Dylan had an unusual drive to succeed and contribute to the team. He displayed maturity and stoicism beyond his years, and was always level-headed, no matter the situation,” Lt. Col. Gregory Walsh, commander of the 26th Special Tactics Squadron, said in a news release sent by the 24th Special Operations Wing, which oversees the 26th Special Tactics Squadron. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dylan’s family, fiancée and friends. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.”
Elchin enlisted in the Air Force in 2012 and was stationed at the Clovis-area base after a two-year combat control training program.
He is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal with Valor and Air Force Commendation Medal, among others.
He graduated with distinction from Airman Leadership School.
The Defense Department says the incident is under investigation.