Raguso, Christopher Joseph
Male
Verified Master Sergeant Christopher Joseph Raguso, 39, of Commack, New York, was a member of the U.S. Air Force's 106th Operations Support Squadron. He was killed in a helicopter crash near Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, on March 15, 2018.
Their Story
Master Sergeant Christopher Joseph Raguso was a 15-year veteran of the New York Air National Guard, serving with the 106th Rescue Wing based at Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base in Westhampton Beach, New York. A firefighter with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), he was also a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Commack. Raguso had deployed multiple times, including to Afghanistan, Iraq, and for domestic disaster relief following Hurricane Harvey.
On March 15, 2018, Raguso was killed when a U.S. military HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed near the town of Al-Qa'im in Anbar province, west of Al Asad Air Base. The helicopter was on a routine transport mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. All seven service members aboard, four Americans and one Briton from a combined special operations team, died in the crash. The U.S. military stated there was no enemy activity in the area at the time, and an investigation was launched.
Raguso died during Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S.-led coalition campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. Launched in August 2014, the operation aimed to degrade and defeat ISIS, which at its peak controlled significant territory across both nations. By 2018, coalition and local forces had recaptured major urban centers, but clearing operations continued against remaining ISIS pockets in rural areas like the Iraqi-Syrian border region where the crash occurred.
Raguso's death was met with widespread mourning in New York's military, firefighting, and tight-knit Long Island communities. The FDNY and the 106th Rescue Wing held memorial services. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered flags flown at half-staff. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Senior Master Sergeant.
Raguso was remembered as a dedicated triple public servant: a guardsman, a city firefighter, and a volunteer firefighter. He left behind a wife and two young daughters. A street in Commack was renamed in his honor, and a scholarship fund was established for the children of fallen 106th Rescue Wing members.
Explore Further
Senior Master Sergeant Raguso was killed during Operation Inherent Resolve (ongoing since August 2014). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Villotcarrasco, Yeshabel, Spears, Jordan Lee, Walker, Jonathan Doyle, Neal, Sean Patrick.
