Airman killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Airman killed by roadside bomb in Afghanistan

An airman died Sunday in Afghanistan when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, the Air Force announced Monday.

Staff Sgt. Timothy Bowles, 24, a tactical vehicle mechanic with the Nangarhar Provincial Reconstruction Team, was killed while on a patrol to check on a local school, according to an Air Force press release.

Bowles deployed to Afghanistan in November from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, where he was assigned to the Vehicle Management Flight in the 3rd Logistics Readiness Squadron. He was scheduled to be in Afghanistan for nine months.

Bowles was born in Anchorage, Alaska, but grew up in Tucson, Ariz., where his father, retired Master Sgt. Louis Bowles, was assigned to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He graduated from Tucson High School in 2002.

“The 3rd Wing and all of Team Elmendorf feel the pain of losing Sergeant Bowles,” Col. Richard Walberg, the 3rd Wing vice commander, said in a statement. ”He was always ready to go beyond what was merely expected of him. In fact, on Sunday he filled in for a comrade who was not feeling well in Afghanistan. He was a living embodiment of our Air Force core values of integrity, service before self and excellence. Raised in a military family, he knew the cost of freedom. He did not falter and he did not fail. Our prayers are with Tim’s family, friends and professional colleagues.”