Elizabeth Nicole "Liz" Jacobson (March 26, 1984 – September 28, 2005) was a United States Air Force airman who was killed in action in the Iraq War in 2005. A member of the U.S. Air Force Security Forces, she was the first female U.S. airman killed in the line of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first Air Force Security Forces member killed in conflict since the Vietnam War.[1]
Elizabeth Nicole Jacobson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Elizabeth Nicole Jacobson |
| Nickname(s) | "Liz" "Cali" |
| Born | March 26, 1984 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | September 28, 2005 (aged 21) Safwan, Basra Governorate, Iraq |
| Buried | Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S. 26°15′31″N 80°07′30″W / 26.258624°N 80.125002°W |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 2003–2005 |
| Rank |  Airman first class |
| Unit |
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| Battles / wars | Iraq War † |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart Medal Air Force Combat Action Medal National Defense Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Air Force Training Ribbon |
| Website | http://airmanjacobson.com/ |
Early life and education
editJacobson was born and raised in Florida.[2] She attended Palm Beach Gardens and Gold Coast high schools.[3] and resided in the Riviera Beach area.
Career
edit
Jacobson enlisted in 2003 and was trained in Texas where she completed training in 2004 and was then posted to 17th Security Forces Squadron also based in Texas, her last posting was to Camp Bucca, Iraq in early 2005.
On September 28, 2005, while Jacobson was guarding a convoy originating from Camp Bucca, Iraq, the vehicle she was riding in was hit by an improvised explosive device near the Iraqi town of Safwan. The explosion killed her and U.S. Army sergeant Steve Morin Jr., 34 years old, from Arlington, Texas.[4] A third soldier who was manning the vehicle's turret weapon was injured but survived the attack.
At the time of her death, she was assigned to the 17th Security Forces Squadron at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas[5] and had deployed to Iraq as part of the 586th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Jacobson had been in the Air Force for two years and had been deployed to Iraq for more than three months.
Jacobson is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Pompano Beach, Florida.[6]
Legacy
editThe U.S. Air Force has established the Elizabeth N. Jacobson Award for Expeditionary Excellence which is given to airmen for outstanding performance during a deployment.[7] A street on Ali Al Salem Air Base running from entry control point "Echo 4" to a South Korean air force compound was renamed Jacobson Avenue in her honor.[8] Goodfellow Air Force Base renamed the base main gate Jacobson Gate[9] The Eagle Chapter, Air Force Security Police Association, created a challenge coin to honor the memory of Jacobson.[10] At Lackland Air Force Base there is the Jacobson Training Facility for Security Force Members and the Library in the facility has numerous mementos from Jacobson. The museum on the base also holds her in an honor position. The Travis AFB First Term Airman's Center is named after Jacobson.
Assignments
edit- 2003 – 2004, 17th Training Wing, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
- 2004 – 2005, 17th Security Forces Squadron, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas
- 2005 – 2005, Camp Bucca, Iraq
Awards and decorations
edit
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References
edit- ^ "Seasoned Airman, young 'AF cop' early female casualties of war on terror". March 8, 2013. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014.
- ^ "Fallen Heroes Project". 11 August 2010.
- ^ "Air Force Airman 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson| Military Times".
- ^ Military Times. "Army Sgt. Steve Morin Jr". Honor the Fallen. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
- ^ Military Times. "Air Force Airman 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson". Honor the Fallen. Archived from the original on 2014-01-16. Retrieved 2014-01-14.
- ^ Maia EfremFeb 9, 2011(Updated Jun 8, 2011) (10 February 2011). "Profiles of Our Fallen - News –". Forward.com. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Vance SP named AETC winner of new award". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
- ^ Goodfellow Air Force Base. "Remembering our veterans" (PDF). Goodfellow Monitor. United States Air Force. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-02-21.
- ^ "Airman voices expectations to NCOs". Archived from the original on 2011-05-27. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
- ^ "Eagle Chapter, Air Force Security Police Association : Jacobson Coin". Archived from the original on 2007-08-31. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
External links
edit- Official website
- Elizabeth Nicole Jacobson at TogetherWeServed
- Elizabeth Jacobson at Find a Grave