Army Captain Jason McMahon

Captain Jason Thomas McMahon, 35, of Mulvane, Kansas, was assigned to the 744th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company, 184th Ordnance Battalion, 52nd Ordnance Group, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He died on September 5, 2010, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, from wounds sustained during an insurgent attack on his unit in Laghman Province.

Born October 24, 1974, in Valdosta, Georgia, McMahon attended Emporia State University. He enlisted in the Army in November 1996 and earned his commission as an officer in 2006. A highly experienced explosive ordnance disposal specialist, he previously deployed to Iraq and became commander of the 744th EOD Company in Afghanistan. For his extraordinary courage during his final mission, CPT McMahon was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest military decoration for valor.

McMahon was remembered as an exceptional leader who genuinely cared about his soldiers. One who served under him in Afghanistan, described him as one of the finest officers he had known and emphasized how fortunate soldiers were to learn from him.

CPT McMahon was survived by his wife and three girls.