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Fallen Airman remembered by comrades

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Gloria Wilson
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) --  With a packed room of not just people, but also emotion, Staff Sgt. Alexandria Morrow was remembered by colleagues and friends Mar 23, 2017 during her memorial service at her deployed location.

Members of her deployed unit, 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, shared stories and memories that painted a picture of a weapons load crew chief who touched the lives of many.

“We mourn for Alexandria Mae Morrow because she was one of the kindest people many of us have ever known,” said Lt. Col. Paul Tower, the 332nd EMXS commander. “She was a loving wife to her husband, an amazing mother to her children, and our fellow warrior and friend—a friend who could be trusted in the toughest of times.”

Morrow’s caring ways earned her the nickname ‘Mother Alex’ not only amongst her immediate teammates, but from those she encountered on the flightline and also worked with at her home station of Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

Master Sgt. Jeffrey Passut, the 332nd EMXS weapons section chief, deployed with Morrow from Mountain Home and shared that not only was she an amazing person, she was also an amazing Airman. He listed her many accomplishments and how if someone wanted something done right they knew Morrow was the person for the job.

“She rolled into the weapons section office at Mountain Home AFB on a Wednesday in early 2010 and said, ‘Hi, I’m Airman Gleason, what do I need to do?’” Passut said. “Her potential progressed and as she became a Senior Airman we had a need for team chiefs. Due to her dedication and drive she ended up becoming the first Senior Airman team chief in 389th Aircraft Maintenance Unit history. Although, that is an NCO job, she was our first pick to lead that crew.”

At her deployed location, this 7-year veteran was known as a professional that was not only proficient at her job, but also passionate about it. So much so that when the commander for United States Central Command came for a visit, she was selected to brief him on weapons loading operations.

From briefing the CENTCOM commander, to everything else she set out to do, her passion and her love was infectious and evident by those who came in contact with her.

“How do we measure the impact someone’s love has on others?” said Capt. Wesley Sheppard, the expeditionary aircraft maintenance unit officer in charge. “I realized the best measure was in the amount of love our team felt for her. We can see how much she loved others by the emotions, the looks on everyone’s faces as we processed that we lost the mom of the flightline. We could see it by the tears that rolled down our faces and by the tight hugs we gave each other.”

Sheppard went on to explain, “She loved so much that she sacrificed her life defending our country and millions of people, including the defenseless in Iraq and Syria. She died protecting innocent women, children, the old and young, and people of every race and religion...If that’s not love I don’t know what is.”

‘Mother Alex’s’ memorial service was testament to that love as well as a variety of other emotions, and in addition to evoking emotion, it was about honor and commitment.

Col. Clinton Eichelberger, the 332nd AEW commander, helped put who Morrow was into perspective, and also put into perspective her legacy and contributions as he spoke to an audience of her wing teammates.

“Service for Staff Sgt. Morrow was unquestionable,” Eichelberger said. “What she led every day is now going down in history books. What you do every day is going down in history books.”

His words seemed to resonate through room packed full of service members who are making a difference daily and helping defeat terrorists, like ISIS, who mean the world harm.

“Everybody here is fighting because the freedoms we have and the values we are promoting are not free,” he said. “Everybody here is sacrificing, your families back home are sacrificing, and every once in a while we have a sacrifice that goes above and beyond. These are the moments that we cannot forget because the sacrifice of Sergeant Morrow, the sacrifice of bringing these freedoms and values to our families back home, is one thing I will never forget.”

“Let us always remember what Sergeant Morrow stood for.”