Plite, Jason Thomas
Male
Verified Senior Airman Jason Thomas Plite, 21, of Lansing, Michigan, was a pararescueman with the 38th Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. He was killed in action near Ghazni, Afghanistan, on March 23, 2003.
Their Story
Jason Thomas Plite was a Senior Airman and pararescueman, or PJ, assigned to the 38th Rescue Squadron based at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. The pararescue specialty, part of Air Force Special Operations Command, is trained for combat search and rescue, medical aid, and personnel recovery missions in high-threat environments.
On March 23, 2003, Plite was part of a mission to recover two missing U.S. soldiers in rugged terrain near Ghazni, Afghanistan. According to U.S. military reports, the MH-53M Pave Low helicopter he was aboard crashed during the operation. The crash killed all six U.S. airmen on board, including Plite. The two missing soldiers were later found alive.
Plite'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. The mission in Ghazni was part of ongoing combat and stabilization operations against Taliban and al-Qaeda forces.
Plite was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He was survived by his parents and siblings. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried in Saint Joseph Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan.
Plite is memorialized on the Air Force Memorial and is listed on the Afghanistan War casualty rolls. The 38th Rescue Squadron continues to train pararescuemen for global personnel recovery missions.
Explore Further
Senior Airman Plite 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.
