Ambard, Philip Dave
Male
Verified Maj. Philip Dave Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Washington, was an active-duty U.S. Air Force officer serving with the 460th Space Communication Squadron. He was killed in a hostile incident in Kabul, Afghanistan, on April 27, 2011.
Their Story
Maj. Philip Dave Ambard was a 44-year-old U.S. Air Force officer from Edmonds, Washington. He served as a member of the 460th Space Communication Squadron, based at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado. His military specialty was in space communications, a field supporting global and theater operations.
On April 27, 2011, Ambard was killed at the Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan. According to U.S. military reports, he was shot by an Afghan pilot during an argument. The incident was investigated as a homicide. The Air Force officially recorded his death as hostile.
Ambard's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By 2011, the conflict was in its tenth year, with a significant international troop presence focused on counterinsurgency and training Afghan security forces.
The shooting prompted an immediate investigation by U.S. and Afghan authorities. The Afghan pilot accused in the shooting was taken into custody. U.S. officials stated the argument appeared to be a personal dispute, not a premeditated insurgent attack.
Maj. Ambard was posthumously promoted from captain to major. He is remembered by his squadron for his professionalism. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Buckley Air Force Base and on the Memorial Wall at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Explore Further
Maj. Philip Ambard 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.
