Please visit; http://www.markaforester.com/ for more information

MY BROTHER IN ARMS

2013, the book's finished; On September 29, 2010 my brother, Mark Forester, was KIA while fighting terrorist in Afghanistan. His heroic legacy of being shot down while preparing to rescue a fallen teammate began long before this tragic day.

An Apache aviator said of Mark's final battle: ..."I have never witnessed such an act of heroism in my three years of fighting in combat. I have over 2,700 hours total time with 1,500 hours of combat time in both Iraq and Afghanistan...JAG 28 continued to advance on the enemy while taking intense enemy fire, and continuously fired his weapon in an attempt to get to his fallen teammate and destroy the enemy."

Mark chose to enlist in the Air Force as a Special Operations Combat Controller after he received his Bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama. Because of his above average grades and near-photographic memory, his Business Finance degree would have done him well. But, he felt a higher calling; one that put him between us and the enemies bent on our destruction.

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SrA Mark A. Forester, CCT 21 STS, was killed in action, Sept. 29th, 2010 in southern Afghanistan.

9/30/2010 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- An Air Force Special Operations Command Combat Controller died Sept. 29 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Senior Airman Mark A. Forester, 29, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was killed while conducting combat operations with his Special Forces team in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

He was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

"Mark believed with all his heart in serving his God, his country and his family," said Maj. Edmund Loughran, 21 STS acting commander. "The unit mourns his loss, but we could not be more proud of his devotion to defending what he believed in most."

The United States announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Senior Airman Mark Forester, 29, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., died Sept. 29 in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, while conducting combat operations in the area. He was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

Forester was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base.

According to the Air Force Special Operations Command website, "Mark believed with all his heart in serving his God, his country and his family," said Maj. Edmund Loughran, 21 STS acting commander. "The unit mourns his loss, but we could not be more proud of his devotion to defending what he believed in most."

The Air Force Times says Forester was a devout Mormon with a close-knit family according to his friend Michael Andrew. 
The airman also believed he was put on earth to defend the U.S.

“He was an unusual combination of characters in that he had this desire to kill the bad guys, but he was the most compassionate, kind, mild-mannered person you’d ever meet,” Andrew said.

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron plans to honor Forester during a memorial service, but a date and time had not been set by Sept. 30. Maj. Edmund Loughran, the squadron’s acting commander, said in a news release that Forester “believed with all his heart in serving his God, his country and his family.”

“The unit mourns his loss, but we could not be more proud of his devotion to defending what he believed in most,” Loughran said.

Forester’s death in Afghanistan follows those of Senior Airman Daniel R. Sanchez, a Combat Controller who died Sept. 16 conducting combat operations.

An Alabama airman has become the service’s fourth fatality in Iraq and Afghanistan in two weeks.

Senior Airman Mark A. Forester died in the Uruzgan province Sept. 29 while conducting combat operations in the area. The 29-year-old worked with the 21st Special Tactics Squadron of Pope Air Force Base, N.C.

Forester, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was a devout Mormon with a close-knit family, said his friend Michael Andrew. The airman also believed he was put on earth to defend the U.S.

“He was an unusual combination of characters in that he had this desire to kill the bad guys, but he was the most compassionate, kind, mild-mannered person you’d ever meet” 

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron plans to honor Forester during a memorial service, but a date and time had not been set by Sept. 30. Maj. Edmund Loughran, the squadron’s acting commander, said in a news release that Forester “believed with all his heart in serving his God, his country and his family.”

“The unit mourns his loss, but we could not be more proud of his devotion to defending what he believed in most,” Loughran said.

Forester’s death in Afghanistan follows those of Senior Airman Daniel R. Sanchez, a Combat Controller who died Sept. 16 conducting combat operations.

Forester and Sanchez will be honored during the Walk for the Fallen, an 860-mile trek beginning Oct. 9 from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, to Hurlburt Field, Fla.

The walk originally commemorated 12 fallen special tactics airmen, but Forester and Sanchez were added after their deaths. Each of the 15 active-duty airmen scheduled to participate in the walk will carry 50-pound rucksacks and batons, each with the name of one of the 14 fallen airmen.

Master Sgt. Kenneth Huhman, one of the event’s organizers and chief of the Combat Control selection course at Lackland, said deaths often hit home in such a small career field.

One of the walking airmen will escort Forester’s remains home, and another was close to Sanchez. But Huhman said the deaths will help motivate the airmen honoring fallen colleagues.

“We’re always going to want to be motivated and remember the guys we lost,” he said. “The fact we lost them so close to the walk, it does give a little additional inspiration.”

From Michael Andrew; First let me say to those of you who read this blog who know Mark, I apologize to you if this is the first time you are hearing the bad news.

For the rest of you who never met him, Mark was one of my very best friends and was stationed at FOB Cobra in Afghanistan as an Air Force Combat Controller embedded with a Green Beret unit. I was able to see him immediately before he left for combat, and had the privilege to do a farewell shoot with his family before he left.
I still do not have all the details of what happened, but my understanding is that Mark and his unit were ambushed and a terrific gun fight ensued. Mark was struck in the chest twice and died of his injuries. I was also told that he died while fighting. Two other members of his squad were also killed. This is all I know right now.

This image was taken on Mark's camera the same day he and First Class Calvin Harrison, (pictured to the left) were killed.

Also, I (Michael Andrew) have updated the story of what happened to Mark. There are more details coming, but it is going to take some time to put together in greater detail. There is also some vetting rules and confirmation steps that have to take place, but we do know that Mark was killed while trying to save a fellow solider, Sgt. First Class Calvin Harrison, a Special Forces Medic.


This post is a tribute to Mark, as well as all of the other family members and friends we all have lost fighting for our country. I want everyone know what an absolutely amazing person he was and what a tremendous sacrifice he paid for the freedoms we enjoy. The price is paid with the very best blood our country has to offer and Mark is a perfect example of this.
Of all the people I know, I cannot think of a more kind, generous and well rounded person I have ever met. He was a true friend, slow to temper, always reliable and extremely fun to be around. We spent so much time playing Halo on Xbox that I am sure I will be in some kind of trouble when I stand before the judgement bar. One night, we had played so much that instead of going home, I crawled over to some random corner in his living room and slept there for the night- not even realizing what I was doing. There are so many memories of him working out, playing flag football, going to Chick-Fil-A, talking for hours about women, scuba diving, church, school and just about anything else 2 young men might talk about- all of which I will treasure forever. Any person who does not have a friend like Mark was to me is really getting a raw deal in life.

Mark's family, including his brother Thad and his parents, Ray and Pat are as good as they come. My heart is aching for them and I want them to know that my thoughts and prayers are with them, how much I love them as well as Mark. I spent most of the afternoon and evening down by the beach crying & thinking about Mark, and how much he will be missed.

On one hand, this is extremely painful and on the other, I cannot express how proud I am of him. We had many talks about the dangers involved- Mark absolutely knew what he was getting into and that there was a chance he may not come back. He went anyway. Brave as hell. I have so much admiration and respect for him. Losing Mark has been a reality check for me, in a good way. I imagine that over the next short period I will be making some changes in my life, mostly for the better, just knowing him and what he gave up. It is a true pleasure and humbling honor to have known him. I miss him so much already and would give anything to have him back. Words cannot express how thankful I am to you Mark and I know I am better person for having known you.
Today, on September 29th, 2010- a great man named Mark Forester paid the ultimate price for you and me, defending and protecting the Great Country of America. Mark is, as so many others are, a True American Hero.

Rest in peace brother and God be with you till we meet again.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

Mark and I had been emailing each other, here are a few of the pictures he sent to me.

Note, this information and pictures were taken from Michael Andrew's Facebook.

Combat Controllers are special operations forces trained to deploy in combat to establish assault zones or airfields and to conduct air traffic and fire-support missions.

Forester joined the Air Force in 2007 and was stationed at Pope in September 2009, Duncan said. He deployed to Afghanistan two months ago.

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron is planning a memorial service in honor of Forester next week, though the time and date had not yet been set, Duncan said.

Reached Thursday night in Haleyville, Ala., Forester's aunt, Carolyn Forester, said he joined the Air Force because he wanted to serve his country and that he loved the work. His parents were at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Thursday waiting for his return, she said.


HURLBURT FIELD — The loss of the second Air Force Special Operations Command Combat Controller has devastated the special tactics community and folks in Senior Airman Mark Forester’s hometown in Alabama.

Forester, a 29-year-old native of Haleyville, Ala., was killed Sept. 29 during combat operations with his Special Forces team in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

His death comes less than two weeks after Senior Airman Daniel R. Sanchez died Sept. 16 of wounds suffered during a firefight in that region.

“It’s unheard of,” Capt. Kristen Duncan with AFSOC public affairs at Hurlburt Field said of losing two Combat Controllers in such a short period of time. “It’s just tragic news to the whole special tactics community.”

She said there are only about 350 Combat Controllers in the Air Force.

Forester was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., in September 2009. He joined the Air Force in June 2007 and spent almost two years training at Hurlburt Field. 

“Mark was a tremendous Combat Controller and an exceptional human being who set an example of selfless service that we would all do well to emulate,” said Lt. Col. Parks Hughes at Hurlburt. “His death is a devastating loss for his family, the entire special tactics community and the Air Force.”

Forester believed “with all his heart” in serving his God, his country and his family, said Maj. Edmund Loughran, acting commander of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope.

“The unit mourns his loss, but we could not be more proud of his devotion to defending what he believed in most,” Loughran said.

Staff Sgt. Dathan Nordheim, an airman with the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, trained with Forester at Hurlburt and also in Texas, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina.

“He was a really, really good dude,” Nordheim said. “He was a strict Mormon. He didn’t drink or smoke. … He didn’t even swear. He was kind of like everybody’s conscience.

“He was straightforward. He wasn’t scared of anything.”

Nordheim, who also was friends with Sanchez, said losing both men has been hard for him and other airman. On a recent trip home from overseas, Nordheim crossed paths with Sanchez before the senior airman got to his final base.

“Maybe it was the jitters, but me and him sat up for like two days just talking about life,” Nordheim said. “He was just a ball of joy.”

Nordheim said he “was in disbelief” when he learned of Forester’s death.

“My wife knew him as well and I had to tell her,” he said. “I know some of the guys are taking it pretty hard. … I’m kind of bracing myself for the funeral coming up.”

Forester grew up in Haleyville, about an hour from Tuscaloosa. His death marks the first combat casualty from the town since Vietnam, according to Harold Bearden, owner of a local television station.

Forester graduated from Haleyville High School and attended the University of Alabama, where he graduated with a degree in finance.

Haleyville resident Lauren Tinker said she and Forester were so close that he was almost a brother. She said he was the youngest of five children. She added that his family is struggling and the community is supporting them.

“There’s nobody like him on the face of the planet,” Tinker said. “When he went over there, we knew it was going to be dangerous. But for as long as I can remember, he was bound and determined that he’d be a soldier fighting for our country.

“Mark would not have chosen another way to die. We have to take comfort in that.”

Forester’s body arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Thursday.

Funeral arrangements are still pending, but Haleyville City School Superintendent Clint Baggett said the memorial likely will have to be held in the high school’s gym to accommodate the crowd.

Baggett was the principal of Haleyville High School when Forester graduated.

“He always had the gift of wit,” Baggett said. “He was certainly a very personable young man.

“This is a historic loss for Haleyville,” he added. “We pride ourselves on raising children that are willing to give their all for their country, and that’s exactly what Mark did.”

Forester’s squadron at Pope Air Force Base will hold a memorial service next week. The date and time has not yet been determined.

The deaths of Sanchez and Forester are the first Combat Controller deaths in more than a year. Combat controller Staff Sgt. Timothy Davis was killed in Afghanistan on Feb. 20, 2009.

 

University of Alabama graduate killed in Afghanistan

Relatives say that Mark Andrew Forester had accepted the reality that his commitment to the United States was going to keep him away from the Crimson Tide's upcoming football season.

Forester, a University of Alabama graduate and senior airman with the U.S. Air Force, was supposed to return home to Haleyville next month and had already made plans to attend the Iron Bowl in November with his family.

Instead, Forester, 29, died Wednesday in combat in Afghanistan.

His family described him as good brother and a gentle friend.

Forester's brother, Thad, said he couldn't reveal many of the details surrounding his brother's death.

“He went down fighting,” Thad Forester said.

Thad Forester, 33, said he was concerned when his little brother announced that he would be taking his finance degree not to Wall Street but to war.

“I supported him,” Thad Forester said. “I mean, somebody has got to do it — I'd just rather it not be my brother.

“But he was prepared for the challenges and he knew that he was putting his life seriously on the line.”

He recalled the day that he and his brother bought a camouflage hat with an Alabama script “A” from Woods & Water. Thad Forester said his brother didn't buy it for his first tour of duty as an Air Force Combat Controller — a highly trained, skilled position that demands entry into hostile enemy territories.

“He just got it because he liked it,” Thad Forester said.

But Mark Forester found a way to work an item representing the Crimson Tide into his combat wardrobe on a regular basis, Thad Forester said.

Thad Forester said his little brother loved his job. “He loved shooting, he loved swimming and he loved jumping out of planes — it was just things that he loved,” he said. “And he was able to stay calm in extremely stressful situations.”

Mark Forester was living with Thad in Tuscaloosa, which ultimately led to him following Thad to the university.

Both the Foresters met Michael Andrew, a fellow UA student who became a professional photographer.

Andrew wrote a memorial to Mark Forester on his website, www.michaelthemaven.com: “Of all the people I know, I cannot think of a more kind, generous and well-rounded person I have ever met. He was a true friend, slow to temper, always reliable and extremely fun to be around.”

Andrew said his friend was a devout Mormon who did not smoke or drink.

“When he was interviewed by the Air Force recruiter on why he wanted to enlist, he told him that he wanted the opportunity to kill terrorists,” Andrew said. “It was kind of unusual to find such a combination of a good person and a warrior all in one.”

It was the warrior part of him that led Mark Forester to choose one of the most grueling military disciplines available.

He signed up to be a Combat Controller, which put him on the battlefield.

Andrew said his friend believed that protecting his country was his God-given task.

“Mark firmly believed that his purpose and duty in life was to the United States,” Andrew said. “He felt like that was what God put him on the planet to do — literally.

“He was just a patriot to the core.”



Family, Hurlburt Mourn Loss of Airman

A planeload of Air Force personnel will fly from Hurlburt Field to a small town in Alabama this week to attend funeral services for one of their own.

Senior Airman Mark Forester was killed Sept. 29 during combat operations with his Special Forces team in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

He was the second member of the elite group of Combat Controllers killed in less than two weeks. Texas native Daniel Sanchez, who was 24, died Sept. 16 of wounds suffered in the same region of Afghanistan.

Though Forester was stationed at Pope Air Force Base, he trained for more than a year at Hurlburt Field.

His services in the small town of Haleyville are expected to be so well attended that the Thursday afternoon funeral will be held at Haleyville High School.


“It helps to see how vast Mark’s influence was around the world,” said his brother Thad Forester. “It makes us proud to be his family.”

Mark was the youngest of five children and the second to enter the military. His older brother, Joseph, an Air Force major, will accompany Mark’s body Tuesday as it is flown from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. There will be a viewing at Pinkard Funeral Home in Haleyville on Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m.

Thad said his brother had a quick wit, photographic memory and a strong sense of purpose.

“He knew what he wanted to do in life,” his brother said. “He was not only doing it, but he was exceptional in his job in the military.”

Mark enlisted in the Air Force at age 26 after graduating from college with a finance degree. That made him about eight years older than many of his fellow recruits, who typically said they had enlisted to pay for college or to help them get on the right path.

When Mark was asked why he had enlisted, he always gave the same answer, his brother said.

“Because God wants me to kill terrorists,” Thad recalls Mark saying.

“I know it sounds kind of extreme, but that’s how he really felt,” Thad said. “That was his mission in life, to protect the freedom of our country. Somebody’s got to do it. We really didn’t want him to do it.”

Though family members had worried that Mark felt invincible, they learned in the months before he died that he was very aware of the danger he was in.

Thad says that over the last few months, Mark had told family members with increasing frequency that he loved them.

In photos taken before he deployed, Mark was a baby-faced, clean-shaven young man. Photos taken in Afghanistan show him with a mustache and beard.

He grew the facial hair because he was in Special Forces and because of the area of Afghanistan where he was, Thad said. To support Mark, Thad and their oldest brother also grew a beard.

“My oldest brother had a pact with Mark that he would keep his beard until Mark came home in November,” Thad said. “He still has it.”

  Friends, family gather to say goodbye to local soldier

HALEYVILLE - Staff Sgt. Robert Bonello said in addition to being a good soldier, Mark Forester was his best friend.

“Mark was the bravest man I ever met. He was fearless, and his teammates wouldn't want anyone else with them other than him,” said Bonello, a Combat Controller with the U.S. Air Force and Forester's roommate.

With more than 1,200 people packed into the Haleyville High School gym, Bonello and others who knew Forester, including his brothers, remembered and honored him Thursday afternoon.

Forester, 29, a 1999 graduate of Haleyville High School and 2006 graduate of the University of Alabama, was killed Sept. 29 during combat action with his Special Operations team in Uruzgan, Afghanistan.

“He always said he was my moral compass, that when I strayed, he would be there to straighten me out,” Bonello said. “I learned so much from Mark and we became more than just friends. I'm a better person for knowing him. It was an honor and blessing to know him for the short time I did.

“Rest in peace, my brother. I will never forget you.”

Forester was the youngest of five children. His brother, Joseph, said Mark joined the Air Force in 2007 and was deployed in April.

“In 2009, Mark became a Combat Controller, and he volunteered to go to Afghanistan,” said Joseph Forester as he stood next to his younger brother's casket, which was draped with an American flag. “In the Mormon book there is a story about a man of valor. The story reminds me of Mark.

“Mark is an inspiration to us all. He is an American hero. What he did, he did to make people free.”

David Forester, fighting back emotions as he spoke of Mark, said he wasn't sure how to sum up his feelings. He said his heart will always be full of memories of his time growing up with his little brother.

Thad Forester said the people who knew and loved his brother shouldn't let the last image of Mark be that of the casket sitting in the middle of the gym.

“Mark lived great and did great things. That's what we need to remember,” Thad Forester said. “Mark has accomplished his mission on this earth, and we should be happy for that.”

Above Video Made by 21st Member

Brigadier Gen. Otis G. Mannon, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, said the outpouring of support by the community to the Forester family shows the kind of person Mark Forester was.

That was evident by the number of people who lined Alabama 195 to pay honor to their fallen hero during the precession from the high school to Winston Memorial Gardens in the Needmore community for the burial. Many sat in cars, while others stood on the roadway waving flags or signs thanking Forester for his service and sacrifice.

The precession was led by 75 members of the Patriot Guard and stretched nearly a mile. The Patriot Guard are veterans who provide escort services and support to fallen soldier's families.

“(Mark) was dedicated to his God, his country and his teammates,” Mannon said. “He had chosen and excelled in one of the Air Force's toughest jobs: Special Operations.”

More than 70 members of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, who knew and served with Forester, attended the funeral. As the ceremony at the cemetery was closing, each member made his way, three at a time, to the casket to pay their last respects and to salute their friend and comrade.
 As they made their way between the Forester family and the casket, many stopped seemingly saying a silent prayer for their friend, while others touched the casket to say goodbye.

And then on cue four Air Force fighter jets flew over saying their own goodbye. One jet broke from the formation and continued on its own. and 

“(Mark's) last mission was one of difficulty and danger,” Mannon said. “He was in heavy combat, but made the decision to go forward to the aid of a fallen comrade, which reflected his courage and dedication.

“Mark served and served well. We will not forget. We will never forget.”

     NBC News Report                                                    


               







I lay down my weapon
And put on my Beret
To mourn in the loss
Of a great man today
So surreal
Cant believe it
Never seems real
But Can't ignore it
It's something i feel
And will always store it
No "maybe next time"
No "see you later on"
Its different this time
I know that you're gone
There'll be no more jokes told
No dumb movie quotes
No more screaming "Living on A Prayer"
And missing all the notes
No more smoke filled clubs
You hated that scene
But you always went out
Keeping watch o'er the team
No more Chic-Fil-A Oreo shakes
No more Texas Roadhouse steaks
No more coconut cake
Your Mom loved to make
A short list of things that we'll never share
But I know you'll have plenty of the best that's up there
Finally, now you're on eternal relaxed grooming
So let that hair grow till its full and booming
And at The Gates as you embrace all your Buddies
They'l all pause to say, "Wow, nice Duggy!"
I can't speak for all, but my life's been truly blessed
Of all that I've known, you're the greatest I've met
I remember you now as you join all the rest
I say a final HooYah, and WILL NEVER FORGET
I'll pick up my weapon and as today turns into night
I'll honor my friend and return to the fight.

I Love Ya Brother, YK





Most of the information and pictures I used were pinched from; http://www.markaforester.com/