Billings, Randy Lee
Male
Verified Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy Lee Billings, 34, of Heavener, Oklahoma, was a U.S. Army helicopter pilot. He died on December 17, 2013, in Now Bahar, Afghanistan, from hostile fire.
Their Story
Randy Lee Billings was a 34-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 2 from Heavener, Oklahoma. He served with Company B, 3rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, out of Fort Riley, Kansas. His unit, part of the 1st Infantry Division, deployed to Afghanistan in 2013.
On December 17, 2013, Billings was piloting an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter on a mission in the Now Bahar area of Afghanistan's Zabul province. According to the Department of Defense, his aircraft was struck by enemy fire. The crash resulted in his death. A second soldier, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua B. Silverman, 35, of Scottsdale, Arizona, also died in the incident.
Billings was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. By late 2013, the mission was in a period of transition, with U.S. and NATO forces shifting from direct combat to a train-and-advise role ahead of a planned withdrawal. Insurgent attacks on coalition aircraft remained a persistent threat.
Following the crash, the Department of Defense issued a formal casualty release confirming the deaths of Billings and Silverman. Their remains were recovered and returned to the United States. The incident was reported by several major news outlets, including The Washington Post and Military Times, which listed the soldiers among the year's casualties.
Billings is memorialized on the 1st Infantry Division's 'First in Combat' casualty list and on online veterans' memorials. His name is inscribed on the Oklahoma Veterans Memorial. Public records indicate he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.
Explore Further
Randy Lee Billings 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.
