Dubois, William Hamner Jr

Also known as: CAPT, 77TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, SHAW AFB, SC

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedDecember 1, 2014

Age30 years old

Location of DeathNEAR MUWAFFAQ SALTI AB, JORDAN

Cause of DeathKilled in a non-combat F-16 aircraft crash during a training mission

Conflict Operation Inherent Resolve

Capt. William Hamner Dubois Jr., 30, of New Castle, Colorado, was a U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot with the 77th Fighter Squadron. He was killed in a non-combat incident near Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan, on December 1, 2014.

Their Story

Capt. William Hamner Dubois Jr. was a 30-year-old F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing, based at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. He was a native of New Castle, Colorado, and had deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

On December 1, 2014, Dubois was killed in a non-combat-related incident near Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the incident involved the crash of an F-16 fighter jet. The Air Force stated the crash occurred during a training mission and was not the result of hostile fire.

Dubois died during the opening months of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led military intervention against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. The coalition's campaign, which began with airstrikes in August 2014, aimed to degrade ISIS's territorial control and military capabilities.

The Air Force initiated an investigation into the crash. His death was reported by major news outlets, including The Denver Post, which noted his Colorado roots. He was survived by his wife, parents, and siblings.

Dubois was posthumously promoted to the rank of major. He is memorialized on the Air Force Memorial Wall and by a scholarship fund established in his name at Colorado State University, where he was an alumnus and a member of the Air Force ROTC detachment.