Pierson, Jordan Bradford

Also known as: CAPT, 39TH AIRLIFT SQUADRON, DYESS AFB, TX (AMC)

Combatant

Male Verified

DiedOctober 2, 2015

Age28 years old

Location of DeathJALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN

Cause of DeathKilled in action during a Taliban ground assault involving a vehicle-borne IED and small arms fire on Jalalabad Airfield.

Conflict Operation Freedom's Sentinel

U.S. Air Force Captain Jordan Bradford Pierson, 28, of Mount Pleasant, Texas, was killed in action on October 2, 2015, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, while serving with the 39th Airlift Squadron.

Their Story

Captain Jordan Bradford Pierson was a C-130J Super Hercules pilot assigned to the 39th Airlift Squadron, based at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas. He was a 2009 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, where he studied behavioral science and was a member of the 94th Fighter Squadron. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

On October 2, 2015, Pierson was killed in a ground attack on Jalalabad Airfield in Nangarhar province. The attack, reportedly carried out by Taliban insurgents, involved a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and small arms fire. The assault breached the base's perimeter and targeted a coalition aircraft hangar.

Operation Freedom's Sentinel was the U.S. military mission that succeeded the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission in Afghanistan on January 1, 2015. Its stated objectives were to train, advise, and assist Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism operations. The mission continued the U.S. presence in a war that began in 2001.

The Department of Defense officially announced Pierson's death the following day. His body was returned to the United States in a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base. A memorial service was held at Dyess Air Force Base, where he was remembered by his squadron commander as a dedicated officer and pilot.

Captain Pierson was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. His name is inscribed on the Air Force Academy's War Memorial. The 39th Airlift Squadron dedicated a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, tail number 07-8613, in his honor.