CW4 Brent S. Cole
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brent S. Cole, 38 was killed in action in Afghanistan on Friday, May 22, 2009. He was killed in a helicopter crash during his third combat deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
He was deployed as part of the 1st Attack Helicopter Battalion (Wolf Pack) of the 82nd Airborne Division's Combat Aviation Brigade.
Born in West Virginia, CW4 Cole first joined the Army National Guard as a military policeman in 1987 while still in high school. He graduated from Fairmont State University and was selected in 1998 to the Army's Warrant Officer Flight Program. He excelled as an Army aviator and began flying the AH-64 Apache helicopter. He was the unit's aviation safety officer and an instructor pilot. He had the responsibility for teaching new aviators the much needed ability and skills to operate the greatest attack helicopter in the world; this was his calling, and he loved every minute of it.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Cole's military decoration include a the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal for Valor, two Air Medals, the Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with a Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal , the Afghanistan campaign Medal with on Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, two Overseas Service Ribbons, the NATO Medal, the Mult-National Force and Observers Medal. He has also been awarded the Combat Action Badge, the Senior Army Aviator Badge and the Parachutist's Badge.
CW 4 Cole is survived by his wife, Vanessa Commodore Cole, his son Carson Cole, and his parents Jack and Helen Cole.