Gardner, Curtis John

Also known as: SSGT, 39TH SECURITY FORCES SQUADRON, INCIRLIK AIR BASE, TU (USAFE)

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedApril 10, 2017

Age29 years old

Location of DeathINCIRLIK AIR BASE, TURKEY

Cause of DeathNon-combat related vehicle accident while on duty

Conflict Operation Inherent Resolve

Staff Sgt. Curtis John Gardner, 29, of Tampa, Florida, was a U.S. Air Force security forces airman assigned to the 39th Security Forces Squadron. He was killed on April 10, 2017, at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.

Their Story

Staff Sgt. Curtis John Gardner was a 29-year-old U.S. Air Force security forces specialist from Tampa, Florida. He was assigned to the 39th Security Forces Squadron at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, a key NATO installation supporting coalition operations in the region.

Gardner died on April 10, 2017, from injuries sustained during a 'non-combat related vehicle accident' while on duty at Incirlik Air Base, according to U.S. Air Force statements. The accident occurred during a routine patrol on the base. An investigation was launched, but specific details of the incident were not publicly released.

Gardner was deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led military intervention against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria that began in August 2014. Incirlik Air Base served as a critical logistical and operational hub for the coalition, hosting aircraft conducting strikes and reconnaissance missions.

Following his death, the 39th Air Base Wing commander called it a 'tragic loss' for the Incirlik community. Gardner was posthumously promoted from Senior Airman to the rank of Staff Sergeant. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried with military honors.

Gardner was remembered by colleagues as a dedicated professional. In 2018, a memorial stone was dedicated in his honor at the Security Forces Hill Memorial Park at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, where he had trained.