Fallen Soldier: Phillip A. Myers

USAF Technical Sergeant Phillip A Myers, 30, of Hopewell, Virginia was assigned to the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom. He died near Helmand province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device on April 4, 2009.

Tsgt. Myers graduated from Hopewell High School in 1996 and worked as a prison corrections officer in Virginia before enlisting in the Air Force in 1999. He had a protective attitude, whether it be for his family or his country. He had been deployed to Iraq and Kuwait, serving on the explosive ordnance disposal team.

TSgt Myers had nerves of steel and was well respected by the soldiers who served both under and above him. He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal on March 19, 2008, for bravery while serving in Iraq and he was the recipient of the 2008 U.S. Air Force Lupia Civil Engineer NCO of the Year Award. TSgt Myers had been promoted from Staff Sgt to Tech Sgt just days before his death. He had not known of his promotion.

He is survived by his wife, Aimee, daughter Dakotah, and son Kaiden.