Sartain, Nathan Cole
Male
Verified Senior Airman Nathan Cole Sartain, 29, of Pensacola, Florida, was a U.S. Air Force Security Forces airman assigned to the 66th Security Forces Squadron. He was killed in action on October 2, 2015, in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
Their Story
Nathan Cole Sartain was a Senior Airman from Pensacola, Florida, serving with the U.S. Air Force's 66th Security Forces Squadron, based at Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts. The squadron provides base security and law enforcement, and its personnel are frequently deployed in support of overseas operations.
On October 2, 2015, Sartain was killed in a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a NATO convoy in Jalalabad, the capital of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province. The attack targeted a convoy of armored vehicles near the city's airport. The Department of Defense confirmed his death was a result of hostile enemy action.
Sartain's death occurred during Operation Freedom's Sentinel, the U.S. mission that began in January 2015 following the conclusion of the larger International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) combat mission. The operation's stated objectives were to train, advise, and assist Afghan forces and conduct counterterrorism operations. Nangarhar province was a significant area of operations against insurgent groups, including a local affiliate of the Islamic State.
Following the attack, Sartain's body was returned to the United States. A memorial service was held at Hanscom Air Force Base, where he was remembered by his squadron commander as a dedicated professional. His death was reported by national and local news outlets, including in his home state of Florida.
Sartain was posthumously promoted to the rank of Senior Airman. He is memorialized on the Air Force Security Forces Association's memorial wall and at the Afghanistan War Memorial at Hanscom AFB. His name is included on the roster of U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan after 2014.
Explore Further
Senior Airman Nathan Sartain was killed during Operation Freedom's Sentinel (ongoing since January 2015). See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Golden, Jonathan Joseph, Gonzalez, Jose Juan, Sanchez, Maria Victoria, Dawson, John Michael.
