Honoree: Christopher K. Raible

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Raible, 40, of North Huntingdon, PA, was the commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Yuma, AZ. He was killed September 15, 2012, at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, when Taliban fighters armed with machine guns, suicide vests, and rocket-propelled grenades breached the highly secured compound and attacked the flight line. The attack destroyed six Harrier fighter jets.

After graduating from Norwin High School in 1990, LtCol Raible attended Kent State University, then Carnegie Mellon University where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering. He then pursued his dream to become a Marine aviator and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, going on to a career as an AV8-Harrier pilot. At the time of his death, LtCol Raible had logged more than 2,000 hours of flight time in the Harrier AV-8B.

“One of his favorite parts of the day was being able to talk to his wife and kids and see their faces,” said Captain Smalley from his squadron. He spent a lot of time on the phone, as much as he could spare.

LtCol Raible was survived by his wife Donnella and their three children: Catherine, Allison, and Brian.