Maltz, Michael Harry
Male
Verified Master Sergeant Michael Harry Maltz, 42, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was a pararescueman with the U.S. Air Force's 38th Rescue Squadron. He was killed in action near Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 23, 2003.
Their Story
Michael Harry Maltz was a 42-year-old Master Sergeant from St. Petersburg, Florida, serving as a pararescueman with the 38th Rescue Squadron, based at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. Pararescuemen, known as PJs, are trained for combat search and rescue, specializing in the recovery and medical treatment of personnel in hostile or isolated environments.
On March 23, 2003, Maltz was part of a two-man team conducting a high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) parachute training jump from an MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft over the Hindu Kush mountains, approximately 30 miles south of Kabul. According to the official Air Force investigation, a malfunction occurred with his primary parachute. His reserve chute deployed but became entangled with the primary, and he impacted the ground at high speed. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Maltz's death occurred during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. By March 2003, major combat operations against the Taliban regime had concluded, but U.S. and coalition forces remained engaged in stabilization and counter-insurgency missions.
Maltz was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He was survived by his wife and two children. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Master Sergeant Maltz is memorialized on several veterans' monuments and is listed on the Air Force Memorial. His unit, the 38th Rescue Squadron, continued its mission in Afghanistan and other theaters. The circumstances of his training death were cited in subsequent safety reviews for special operations parachuting procedures.
Explore Further
Master Sergeant Maltz 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.
