1st security forces officer killed in Iraq - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

1st security forces officer killed in Iraq

An Air Force Academy graduate became the first security forces officer killed in Iraq or Afghanistan when a roadside bomb exploded close to his vehicle near Baghdad.

The Sept. 8 blast killed 1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton, who was deployed from the 6th Security Forces Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. Helton had recently volunteered to extend his deployment in Iraq, where he was training Iraqi police officers.

“Joe was an amazing airman and defender who volunteered to lead our best in Iraq,” Col. Lawrence Martin, commander of the 6th Air Mobility Wing, said in a written statement. “We are deeply saddened by his loss and very proud of his service.”

Seven enlisted security forces airmen have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but Helton is the first officer, according to Air Force statistics.

Helton chose to join security forces when he graduated from the academy in 2007. He grew up in a military family and commanded the Junior ROTC unit at his Monroe, Ga., high school.

Helton turned down scholarship offers from other universities to attend the academy, a school spokesman said. There, he was ranked among the top 10 percent of his class in academics, leadership and athletics. He shared command of cadet Squadron 19.

“If someone walked into the room and had a question, nine times out of 10 he’d be the person they would approach,” Helton’s mother, Jiffy Helton, told The Tampa Tribune. “He just looked like he knew the answers.”