Air National Guard Airman Dustin Harrison

Department of Defense contract pilot Dustin Scott Harrison, 47, of Gilbert, Arizona, was conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of American counterterrorism operations. He was killed on January 5, 2020, at Manda Bay Airfield, Kenya, when al-Shabaab terrorists attacked the installation and destroyed his aircraft before takeoff.

Harrison graduated from Auburn High School, Auburn, WA in 1990. Fascinated by aviation from an early age, he became an accomplished pilot and eventually flew sensitive missions for the Department of Defense, including transporting military personnel and other passengers through dangerous regions. Although not actually active military, Harrison worked closely with the Air Force as a civilian contract pilot. His remains were received at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and his memorial service included a formal flag-folding ceremony to honor his service.

At his memorial, fellow aviators and loved ones described him as a quiet, patriotic "pilot’s pilot" and a silent hero who dedicated his life to supporting U.S. military intelligence missions abroad.

Harrison was survived by his wife and four children.