TWO CCT, AMBUSHED KILLED IN ACTION, CLICK HERE
 Forrest B. Sibley and Matthew D. Roland




Matthew D. Roland

It is my sad duty to inform you of the death of Captain Matthew David Roland, age 27, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 26, 2015. He was killed at a vehicle checkpoint at a forward operating base when two individuals wearing Afgan National Defense and Security Forces opened fire on him as well as SSgt Forrest B. Sibley. NATO service members returned fire and killed the shooters at Camp Antonik – Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

He was a proud member of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, FL. He was born  at Ellsworth AFB, SD on December 24, 1987. Being a member of a military family he lived at Dyess AFB,TX; Kirtland AFB, NM and Lexington, KY. He graduated at Lexington Catholic High School before entering the U.S. Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO where he graduated in Class 2010. He graduated Combat Control School in Class 11-003, and Advanced Skills Training in Class 42.

Captain Roland is survived by his parents: Col. (Ret.) USAF Mark and Barbara Roland; sister: Erica Roland; niece: Willamina Roland; paternal grandparents: Dr. and Mrs. Earl Roland of Anderson, SC and maternal grandmother Rita Thomas of Louisville, KY. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather: Richard Baugh.

The family will receive visitors in his honor from 5-7pm on Tuesday September 8, 2015 at Lexington Catholic High School; followed by a Memorial Ceremony at 7pm. Another Memorial Service will be conducted on Monday, September 14 at 0900 in the Freedom Hangar at Hurlburt. Burial in the future will take place at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, Memorial contributions can be made in Captain Roland's memory to the Combat Control Association.

May he Rest in Peace, CT

Forrest B. Sibley

It is with the deepest regret that I inform you the death of Staff Sergeant Forrest Brent Sibley, age 31, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 26, 2015. He was killed at a vehicle checkpoint at a forward operating base when two individuals wearing Afgan National Defense and Security Forces opened fire on him as well as Captain Matthew D. Roland. NATO service members returned fire and killed the shooters at Camp Antonik – Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

He was currently assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Army Airfield, NC. He was a four-time Bronze Star recipient, once with the Valor device, and had deployed four times to sensitive locations around the world in his nearly seven years of service. He is survived by his parents of Pensacola, FL.

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, September 14 at 0900 at the Freedom Hangar at Hurlburt Field.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 15, from 1400 to 1700 at the Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel located at 131 Moffett Rd, Bldg. 1982; Pensacola, FL 32508. Funeral service will be held on Wednesday, September 16 at 1100 at the same address. Interment will follow the service at the Barrancas National Cemetery at 1400. A military Honor Guard has been requested. It has not been decided by the family at this time what the desires are in lieu of flowers.

Forrest graduated from Niceville, FL high school. He graduated from the Combat Control School in Class 09-005, and Advanced Skills Training Class 35. He was CCA Life Member 1345.

May he Rest in Peace, CT


The 21st Special Tactics Squadron honored a fallen comrade from their squadron, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, in a private ceremony, Pope Army Airfield, N.C., Sept. 3. Sibley was a combat controller who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION Freedom’s Sentinel when he and another Special Tactics Airmen were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2015. He and Capt. Matthew Roland, special tactics officer from 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, died of wounds sustained in the attack Aug. 27. U.S. Air Force photo by Marvin


Two Special Tactics airmen killed in Afghanistan
By KELLY HUMPHREY
315-4443 | @Kellyhnwfdn
khumphrey@nwfdailynews.com

Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 8:33 AM
Updated Oct 6, 2015 at 5:39 PM

HURLBURT FIELD — For the second time in a month, the Special Tactics community is mourning the loss of two of its airmen following an attack in Afghanistan on Aug. 25.
Capt. Matthew D. Roland, 27, and Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley, 31, who were deployed in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, were at a vehicle checkpoint near Camp Antonik when two individuals wearing Afghan National Defense and Security Forces uniforms opened fire on them. NATO service members returned fire and killed the shooters.

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron honored a fallen comrade from their squadron, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, in a private ceremony, Pope Army Airfield, N.C., Sept. 3. Sibley was a combat controller who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION Freedom’s Sentinel when he and another Special tactics Airmen were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2015. He and Capt. Matthew Roland, special tactics officer from 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, died of wounds sustained in the attack Aug. 27. (U.S. Air Force photo by Marvin

Roland and Sibley passed away from their wounds the following day.
“The losses of Matt and Forrest are a terrible blow to everyone who knew them,” said Col. Wolfe Davidson, 24th Special Operations Wing commander. “These two combat controllers were incredible warriors who not only volunteered to join our nation’s Special Operations Forces, but earned their way to the tip of the spear in defense of our nation.”
The deaths of Roland and Sibley occurred just a little more than three weeks after Tech. Sgt. Timothy Officer and Tech. Sgt. Marty Betteyloun, both members of the 24th Special Operations Wing, were killed in a free fall training accident at Eglin Air Force Base on Aug. 3.
Roland was a special tactics officer at the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2010. Upon completing the STO training program in 2012, he was a team leader who supervised real-world combat preparedness training of a 35-member team.

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron honored a fallen comrade from their squadron, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, in a private ceremony, Pope Army Airfield, N.C., Sept. 3. Sibley was a combat controller who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION Freedom’s Sentinel when he and another Special tactics Airmen were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2015. He and Capt. Matthew Roland, special tactics officer from 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, died of wounds sustained in the attack Aug. 27. U.S. Air Force photo by Marvin
He deployed three times in his five years of service to multiple locations globally. He is survived by his parents.
Phil Roberts of Lexington, Kentucky, knew Roland during his days as an Eagle Scout in high school.
“Matt was a true leader even in high school,” Roberts wrote in an email to the Daily News.
“He was a fun-loving, boisterous, happy kid, and there was never any doubt he would be a fine military officer. I think he probably wore camo diapers as an infant!”
Sibley was a combat controller at the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, Pope Army Airfield, N.C. He was a four-time Bronze Star medal recipient, once with the valor device, and he deployed four times to sensitive locations around the world in his nearly seven years of service. He is survived by his parents.
“I went to school with Forrest,” John Wayne McDonald of Alabama commented on the Daily News website. “He was a great guy. He was never mean to anyone.”
Due to their extensive special operations training, both were military-qualified static line jumpers, free fall jumpers, combat scuba divers and qualified in joint terminal attack control.
“The risks that these men and their teammates endured in combat and in training are all too well known to the Special Tactics community, but it does not make this great loss any easier to bear,” Davidson said. “We will honor Matt and Forrest for the legacy they left behind, embrace their families as our own, and thank them eternally for their ultimate sacrifice for American freedom.”

The 21st Special Tactics Squadron honored a fallen comrade from their squadron, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, in a private ceremony, Pope Army Airfield, N.C., Sept. 3. Sibley was a combat controller who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION Freedom’s Sentinel when he and another Special tactics Airmen were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2015. He and Capt. Matthew Roland, special tactics officer from 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, died of wounds sustained in the attack Aug. 27. U.S. Air Force photo by Marvin


Fallen Special Tactics hero honored at squadron tribute

POPE ARMY AIRFIELD, N.C. --

The coolest guy in the room. A knight and a warrior on the battlefield. A highly decorated combat veteran who went to great lengths to mentor young Airmen. Someone with a quick wit, an infectious laugh and a sense of humor that was “second to none.”

That’s how members of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron described a fallen comrade, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, in a private ceremony here, Sept. 3.

Sibley was a combat controller who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION Freedom’s Sentinel when he and another Special Tactics Airmen were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2015. He and Capt. Matthew Roland, special tactics officer from 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, died of wounds sustained in the attack Aug. 27.

During the tribute, Maj. Stewart J. Parker, 21 STS commander, shared his personal memories with the gathered teammates, friends and family members.

He recalled the last time he saw Sibley two weeks ago, as the 21 STS Special Tactics Airmen met before the members of the squadron left for a deployment.

“I’ll never forget Forrest as he passed me on his way to the door, cracking jokes,” Parker said from the podium in the flightline's hangar. “He slapped me on the back and gave me one of those priceless smiles. ‘We’ll see you soon, sir,’ he said. And then he swaggered out to board the aircraft.”

Sibley, 31, had served in the Air Force as a Special Tactics Airmen since November 2008. In his seven years of service, he received four Bronze Star medals, once with valor for heroism in combat, as well as a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in combat. He was on his fourth overall deployment and third deployment to Afghanistan when he was killed in action. He had been stationed at Pope Army Airfield since 2014.

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Delorean Sheridan, 21st Special Tactics Squadron, honored a fallen comrade from their squadron, Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, in a private ceremony, Pope Army Airfield, N.C., Sept. 3. Sibley was a combat controller who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION Freedom’s Sentinel when he and another Special tactics Airmen were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2015. He and Capt. Matthew Roland, special tactics officer from 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, died of wounds sustained in the attack Aug. 27.

“We can pay tribute to Forrest by trying to be a little more like him: work hard, but don’t take life too seriously. Laugh a little more. Take time to enjoy the freedom that guys like Forrest have fought so hard to give us,” Parker said. “And if we do that…if we absorb some of his upbeat attitude as a part of our own lives, then not everything we love about Forrest dies along with him.”

One of Sibley’s friends, SSgt Christopher Shaub, described him as “a man with a remarkable soul whose character could not be emulated.”

Shaub said his friend described himself on a professional networking website as someone who works daily to shape the minds of today’s youth for tomorrow’s uncertainty.

“We owe him such a debt of gratitude,” said Shaub. “He is hands down one of the best Americans I have ever known, and I’m lucky to be able to call him my friend.”

Several Special Tactics teammates said Sibley had an appetite for nature and loved to hunt and fish, often spending time in the woods of Alabama for days at a time.

Shaub closed by recounting words of wisdom from Gen. George S. Patton, often described as the greatest combat general in World War II:

“It’s foolish and wrong to mourn the men who have died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”

Special Tactics Airmen are U.S. Special Operation Command’s air-to-ground integration force, enabling global access in hostile or rugged terrain, directing precision strike and executing personnel rescue.

Sibley was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, which supports NATO's Resolute Support Mission to continue training, advising, and assisting Afghan security forces, and to also continue the U.S.'s counterterrorism mission against the remnants of Al-Qaeda.

As a Special Tactics combat controller, Sibley was trained to survey and establish airfields, direct precision strikes and control air power, all in hostile or austere areas. He was also qualified as a military static line jumper, free fall jumper, an Air Force combat scuba diver and a joint terminal attack controller.

The ceremony concluded with 21 STS leadership performing the last roll call in which Sibley was noted as not being present for duty after being killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan.

The roll call was followed by the playing of taps—both tributes which left very few dry eyes in crowd.

Sibley was a native of Pensacola, Fla., and is survived by his parents and siblings.

 Hurlburt Field personnel line Independence Road to honor Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, a Combat Controller from the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, and his family during a procession at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Sep. 14, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airmen Hayden K. Hyatt/Released)


Two fallen Special Tactics Airmen honored, remembered
Special Tactics Airmen bear the remains of Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley during a dignified transfer on Hurlburt Field, Fla., Sept. 14, 2015. The two Special Tactics Airmen, who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, and died of wounds sustained in the attack, were honored in a private memorial. Both Special Tactics Airmen will be buried with full military honors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Kai White/Released)

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- More than 1,000 family members, friends and teammates from around the country gathered here Sept. 14 to honor and remember two Special Tactics Airmen who were killed in action last month in an insider attack.

As the procession of family members departed the memorial, nearly 2,000 Air Commandos lined the roads and saluted to honor Capt. Matthew D. Roland, 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, and Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley, 21st Special Tactics Squadron. Both were killed Aug. 26 at a vehicle checkpoint near Camp Antonik, Afghanistan.

“There are no words, lessons [or] themes that could properly memorialize Matt and Forrest,” said Lt. Col. Paul Brister, 23rd STS commander, at the memorial service. “They both lived lives bigger than that. The best way we can memorialize them is to live life with as much zeal, humor and love as they demonstrated in theirs.”

Roland, 27, a special tactics officer and team leader, was a qualified special operations battlefield commander who had deployed three times in his five years of service. Roland graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2010 and completed the rigorous special operations training pipeline in 2012. He was a native of Lexington, Ky., and is survived by his parents and sibling.

“Matt was anything but typical,” Brister said. “On the battlefield he was a lion — lethal, precise, humble and compassionate. He was always flawless. I’m convinced I learned more from him than he could ever learn from me.”

Roland lived to protect his teammates, said Master Sgt. Jared Hodges, 23rd STS.

“He was our leader, mentor and brother,” Hodges said. “His biggest fear was letting [us] down.”

Sibley, 31, a combat controller stationed at Pope Army Airfield, N.C., had deployed four times to numerous sensitive locations in his seven years of service. For his commitment in the face of consistent danger, he received four Bronze Star medals, one with the Valor device for bravery against an enemy of the U.S. in combat. He was a native of Pensacola, Fla., and is survived by his parents and siblings.

Capt. Michael Bain, 21st STS director of operations, said Sibley was a selfless man.

“Men like Forrest run toward the sound of chaos,” Bain said. “He cared more about others than himself.”

Staff Sgt. Bob Sears said Sibley was an incredible warrior, friend and teammate.

“We are hurting for Forrest and Matt, but they will never be forgotten,” Sears said. “We will never stop talking about them.”

As tradition dictates, during the memorial service, there was a final roll call to account for Special Tactics Airmen. When Roland’s and Sibley’s names were called three times with no response, Airmen responded they were no longer present to report for duty, as they were killed in action.

After the conclusion of the ceremony, service members lined to salute the two battlefield crosses representing both Airmen, which were a pair of boots, a rifle, their special operations berets and dog tags. Special Tactics Airmen also tacked their flashes, or special operations insignia normally found on their berets or uniforms, next to the battlefield cross, to honor their fallen comrades.

Following the memorial, hundreds of Special Tactics Airmen saluted Sibley’s coffin, draped in an American flag, as a FA-20 aircraft completed the dignified arrival before his interment at a local cemetery.

Both Airmen will be interred at military cemeteries with full military honors at a later date.

Airmen salute during Capt. Matthew D. Roland and Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley’s memorial service, Sept. 14, 2015, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The two Special Tactics Airmen, who had recently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, were shot at a vehicle checkpoint at Camp Antonik, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, and died of wounds sustained in the attack, were honored in a private memorial. Both Special Tactics Airmen will be buried with full military honors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ryan Conroy/Released)


 Forrest Brent Sibley, October 21, 1983 - August 26, 2015
Our beloved son, brother, and patriot, Forrest Brent Sibley, lost his life in the service of God and country on August 26, 2015 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He was deployed with the 21st Special Tactics Squadron USAF, on his fourth deployment. He completed Combat Control School at Pope Army Airfield, Combat Dive School, Airborne, Military Freefall School and was a Joint Terminal Attack Controller. Forrest's mission was liaison for Air-To-Ground Precision Guided Munitions for Special Operations Close Air Support.

He was a born leader and, as an avid outdoorsman, loved to hunt and fish with his Dad and Grandfather. He was naturally curious, patient, fearless, and wanted to experience life as he saw it. Forrest loved all sports, especially college football as a Florida Gator fan.

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Forrest grew up with his father and sister and later moved to Alabama where he graduated from Appalachian High School in Oneonta. His sister, Jordan, describes Forrest as her best friend, strongest supporter, and loving brother. Forrest was proud of his younger brother Spenser Fernandez, who followed in his footsteps becoming a Senior Airman serving as an Air Traffic Controller at Holloman AFB.

Initially assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Forrest deployed to a variety of locales, including Afghanistan and Africa. He was awarded four Bronze Stars, one with the 'V' device and received two Purple Hearts and the Air Force Commendation medal.
Forrest is survived by his loving parents, Brent Sibley and Suzi Fernandez, his sister Jordan Sibley, his brother Spenser Fernandez, step-brother Justin Fernandez, grandparents Raiford and Betty Jo Sibley, grandmother Rita Riffel, aunts Lori Lanier, Amy Schnupp, uncles Bryan (Buzz) Sibley, Dale Sibley, SGM Kurt Schnupp, (Ret.), Eric Schnupp and Hannah Grace Broz, Forrest's love and confidant. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, retired Army Colonel Regis Schnupp.

A visitation will be held Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at the Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel, Pensacola NAS, 131 Moffitt Rd. Building 1982, Pensacola, Fl. 32508, from 2- 5 P.M. Funeral services will be held at the same location Wednesday at 11 A.M. Burial will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery, 1 Cemetery Rd. Pensacola, FL. 325087, under the direction of Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Rd., NE., Fort Walton Beach, FL. 32547.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Combat Control Association (CCA)




812 Mile U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Memorial March

From San Antonio’s Lackland Air Force Base to Hurlburt Field in Florida, 812 miles, 20 Special Tactics Airmen started their trek Oct. 4 in honor of their fallen comrades.

This is the fourth U.S. Special Tactics Memorial March in remembrance of the two Special Tactics Airmen who were killed Aug. 26 in an attack in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

The Special Tactics Airmen made their way through the Humble, Atascocita and Huffman area communities Tuesday, Oct. 6.

“Less than a month later after losing two airmen, here we are ‘rucking’ 812 miles from San Antonio to Hurlburt Field in Florida which represents the training program they go through,” Lt. Katrina Cheesman, chief of public affairs for U.S. Air Force Special Tactics, said. “The training is like a two-year pipeline which is very rigorous and strenuous and tests them.

“They start their training in San Antonio at the Air Force Base then halfway through they go to Air Traffic Controller School at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, and at the very end, go to Hurlburt Field in Florida where we have the Special Tactics Training Squadron. All these training sessions are like puzzle pieces that when placed together, make these airmen into an operational warrior to can handle most situations.”

Special tactics Airmen carry 20 batons during a memorial march to Hurlburt Field, Fla., Oct. 13, 2015. The team of 20 special tactics Airmen started marching at 2 a.m. Oct. 4, 2015, from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and marched 812 miles through five states to meet with Gold Star families and end the memorial march with a ceremony on Hurlburt Field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman Kai White)

“Rucking” is a slang term used by the airmen since they carry water and nourishment in ruck sacks during their walk.

The march began in 2009 in memory of Staff Sgt. Tim Davis, a Combat Controller killed by an Improvised Explosive Device, Feb. 20, 2009, during Operation Enduring Freedom. The Memorial March is only held when a Special Tactics operator is killed in action that year.

Additionally, the memorial march honors all 19 Special Tactics pararescuemen and Combat Controllers who have been killed in action since 2001.

“We do this arduous march to commemorate and honor fallen members of Air Force Special Tactics and their families. These warriors gave their lives in defense of freedom and our nation’s security, and so every step of every mile is in memory of that sacrifice,” Event organizer, retired Chief Master Sgt. Steven Haggett said in a press release about the march.

During the walk, the 20 airmen will relay through five states, averaging 12.5 miles per leg. Each two-man team will walk approximately 90 miles during the 10-day trek, carrying a 50-pound ruck sack and a commemorative baton engraved with a fallen Special Tactics Airman’s name.

A grandmother of one of the fallen special tactics Airmen carries a photo in honor of her loved one to a baton ceremony on Hurlburt Field, Fla., Oct. 13, 2015. The team of 20 special tactics Airmen started at 2 a.m. on Oct. 4, 2015, from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and marched 812 miles through five states to meet with Gold Star families and end the memorial march with a ceremony on Hurlburt Field. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman Kai White)

“With the baton, it’s like we are carrying them home. This U.S. Special Tactics Memorial March is important because we will always remember our fallen airmen and to showcase support to our Gold Star families because they are truly the ones who bear the cross of their child’s sacrifice,” Cheesman said. “We also host this march to educate others about what U.S. Special Tactics is all about.

“Plus, this is a challenge. We want to welcome others into the Special Tactics community if they feel inspired and challenged by what we do. But first and foremost, this walk is to honor our fallen comrades.”

For the final 4.6 miles together, and the walk for the final mile from Hurlburt Field’s front gate, the 20 airmen will meet with surviving family members of the 19 fallen Special Tactics Airmen and members of the community and march together until they reach the Squadron.

“These fallen comrades will never be forgotten, we will always be telling their stories,” Cheesman said.


Special tactics Airmen greet Gold Star families after finishing an 812-mile memorial march from Texas to Florida. The memorial march is only completed when a special tactics Airmen is killed in action. This march was held in honor of Capt. Matthew Roland and Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, who were killed in action Aug. 26, 2015. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman Kai White)

For many of the Gold Star families and special tactics Airmen, it was a reunion. The Airmen had carried memorial batons engraved with the names of the fallen halfway across the country to walk alongside the families who lost their loved ones. This was not the first time they had done this; most of the families had attended all four of the memorial marches, the first of which took place in 2009.

“Who’s got Argel?” one family member shouted into the chaotic crowd of hugging people, searching for the person holding their son’s baton. Eventually, each Airman delivered his baton to the appropriate family, and the group walked the final mile together.

At the end of the march, the Airmen took part in a small ceremony. The batons were solemnly saluted and returned, one by one, to a waiting special tactics Airman as the names of the 19 teammates were called.

The batons were returned to their display case and will only be removed for another memorial march if a special tactics Airman is killed in action.

Finally, in keeping with a special tactics tradition, the Airmen formed up to complete memorial pushups.

“The fallen’s legacy will never die, because we will continue to honor their sacrifices and perpetuate their excellence,” Col. Wolfe Davidson (pictured below), the 24th Special Operations Wing commander, said of the 19 special tactics Airmen killed in action since 9/11. “We aren’t ever going to quit talking about them. We will walk across this country to say, ‘We will never forget you.’”




2015 CCA Reunion Memorial Ceremony




"The losses of Matt and Forrest are a terrible blow to everyone who knew them," Col. Wolfe Davidson, 24th Special Operations Wing commander, said in a statement.   "These two combat controllers were incredible warriors who not only volunteered to join our nation's Special Operations Forces, but earned their way to the tip of the spear in defense of our nation,"
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Dead?  It was unthinkable. It was impossible. Not Forrest.

By Andy Marlette, Pensacola News Journal

In the dark, early morning, Josh confirmed the devastating news with a call to his fallen friend's girlfriend.

"Forrest is dead."

Unthinkable. Impossible. Forrest was the most alive person he had ever known.

It was 2004 on Pensacola Beach. Working as a bar back and server, Forrest found his band of brothers. After opening the now-legendary Paradise Bar and Grill, they were part of the first squadron of friends whose mission was to open Hemingway's — an undertaking derailed later that year by Hurricane Ivan.

From left to right: Forrest Sibley, Hurst Butts, Jeff Gravagna, Josh Flores, Andrew Holman, Lee Ellis and Clint Provost.

"Like everyone else, we were suddenly out of a job," Josh recalls. No worry. At Forrest's cheerful lead, the group of friends took to roaming Pensacola's hurricane-torn streets. They bargained for minimum wages in exchange for chopping, cutting, clearing and hauling. Forrest reveled in the exhaustion. The evenings without electricity. The dinners of MREs. He wasn't only the guy who smiled all the way through it, Josh says. He was the guy who — miraculously — went out and found beers for everyone.

Eventually, the friends returned to the beach. In those days, they were the boys who made pretty girls laugh late into the night at The Break and The Islander. Forrest could skillfully turn a late night into early morning skinny-dipping in the Santa Rosa Sound — until a good-natured deputy would make everyone put their clothes back on.

"Forrest lived for Pensacola Beach," Josh explains. He was the local guy who would go on a gleeful shopping spree for a tourist's ensemble at Wings — the neon green "Pensacola Beach" tank top paired with the American flag swim trunks. Why? To playfully and sincerely adorn himself with the two places on Earth that he was so proud of.

"He had all intentions to finish his military career and live out his life right here," Josh says. "I think he loved it more than any other place in the world."

And no matter where he was in the world, Forrest was thinking about Pensacola. As a four-time Bronze Star recipient in the 21st Special Tactics Squadron based at Pope Army Airfield in North Carolina, Forrest's duty called him far away from our beautiful beach.

There was Afghanistan — twice. There was Syria. Harrowing deployments dropped Forrest in some of the worst places at the worst times. But Pensacola was always a Facebook message away.

Ever the shepherd, Forrest kept constant tabs on his friends. "He was always checking to make sure we were having a good time," Josh says. "Did you guys go to Blues on the Beach? Did you guys do McGuire's 5k?" He was doing his solemn duty to his country, and he wanted to make sure his friends weren't neglecting their duty to enjoy Pensacola.

"He was the guy who was worried about his friends, even while he was in the places where we should have been checking in on him." Josh says. Such was Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley's capacity to love others.

Perhaps that's the greatest talent of men who go through life as Forrest did — to love.

"With the heart, innocence and spirit of a 10-year-old," Josh describes all that Forrest so energetically adored: He loved the beach and Paddy O'Leary's and the Florida Gators. He loved climbing things — especially things that he wasn't supposed to climb. There also was Halloween. Golfing — especially the potential for a flipped golf cart and the way a gentlemanly afternoon at Osceola or Scenic Hills could morph into a game of bumper cars.

He loved the greeting, "Big boy, where ya at?!"

He loved backyard slip-and-slide obstacle courses. Such a challenge was accepted with gusto — by dressing in 70's garb and afro wig, careening down the homemade slip, sliding into a dislocated shoulder. And smiling all the way, of course.

He loved countering the ruckus of gonzo beachgoing with the serenity of nature. Quiet moments were found at Fort Pickens where the friends would just wander. Other times it was Forrest leading a band of Pensacola brothers and sisters over the Blackwater River and through the woods until they were lost.

And sometimes Forrest would just go get lost by himself. "He'd take off with a few guns and an appetite for venison," Josh says. "He gave nature its due time. He had an intuition. Forrest knew how to dwell in it."

In truest heart and full faith, Josh says Forrest loved his country. At times, when a few beers would stretch into late-night political discussions, Forrest's vision of America was absolute and unshakeable. Our nation's greatness was not up for debate. We were the good guys and Forrest was dedicated to being one of the very best of them.

To those who spoke to Forrest about his service, the potential for violence was something that existed outside his fascination with the special forces. Certainly, he knew the dangers of duty. But his love of the mission was hardwired to the tactics and technology. "He was a born puzzle-solver," says Josh.

As word spread that Staff Sgt. Sibley had been killed in an ambush, lines of communication lit up from the diaspora of crestfallen friends of Forrest. Many old Pensacola friends have scattered over the last decade: New York. Seattle. Atlanta. California. Kansas City. The news spread on Facebook and the sobbing phone calls have been coming in ever since. Every hour, it has seemed, another horrified friend learns the sad, sad news for the first time.

Josh says Forrest had just bought a motorcycle and was planning a coast-to-coast ride. He loved his girlfriend very, very much. They were discussing marriage.

"It feels like someone stole something. It feels like robbery." Josh's eyes well.

"He was supposed to be there for things. He was supposed to be there for the big days, you know? For the weddings. He was a future groomsman in many, many weddings."

"I think that's why this has been so painful," Josh says. "You see a rare soul that's so alive and so vibrant, and just to be around him made you vibrant too — and then it's gone."

"In Pensacola, a lot of people know Forrest. A lot of people love him and miss him."

And so it goes. The treachery of war has stolen a beloved son far too soon. What's left but to mourn and honor him?

On Saturday near Big Sabine, Josh and many of Forrest's friends gathered along the seashore in the soundside waters their fallen friend loved so deeply. May there be solace that through these many souls, Forrest will never be forgotten. And may there be faith that even in this final, tragic deployment, Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley is somewhere smiling and looking in on the people he loved — like he'd done so many times before.



HOOYA TEAM..... Our Team Mate; Forrest "FY" Sibley