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Death of Air Force officer 1st Lt. Joel Gentz

Posted by Aaron - 24/06/10 at 02:06:58 am

On June 9, 2010, 1st Lt. Joel Gentz, an Air Force combat rescue officer from Grass Lake, Michigan, was killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

As a combat rescue officer, Gentz was one of the most highly trained airmen in the Air Force. He led a crew of pararescuemen on search and rescue missions.

For the Citizen Patriot’s complete coverage of Gentz’s death and funeral, click here.

Joel Gentz remembered by family, friends, former teachers and fellow airmen, June 24, 2010.

Before Joel Gentz decided to join the Air Force, jump out of airplanes and save wounded men, women and children, his brother Jared and sister Rachel put him through unofficial training.

During their brother’s funeral Thursday in Chelsea, the two shared stories of camping, swimming, spying and swamping, bringing tears but much laughter.

“We always tried to be like Joel and looked up to him,” said Jared Gentz. “We’ll miss you Joel.” (more)

Chelsea streets lined for funeral procession of First Lt. Joel Gentz, June 24, 2010.

Flags around Chelsea flew at half-staff and people lined the streets to pay final respects to First Lt. Joel Gentz.

Men in suits, boy scouts, motorcycle clubs clad in leather waved flags as they waited from the procession to pass.

Gentz, 25, was killed in a June 9 helicopter crash in Afghanistan. As an elite combat rescue officer, the 2002 Chelsea High School graduate commanded a squad of pararescuemen on a NATO rescue mission. (more)

Family of First Lt. Joel Gentz shares memories of airman who died in Afghanistan, June 13, 2010.

Judy Gentz called her son a peacemaker.

He flew eight missions a day into hostile territory in Afghanistan. He rescued men, women and children, Afghanis and Americans.

First Lt. Joel Gentz did not fight. He helped.

The Grass Lake man, a 2002 graduate of Chelsea High School, was one of four killed Wednesday in a helicopter crash during a rescue mission in Afghanistan. Gentz was 25.

The combat rescue officer once told his father there was no greater joy than saving an Afghani child and then seeing the look on the faces of the child’s parents. Gentz saved a lot of children, said his father, Steve Gentz.

“Just knowing our son was doing stuff like that means a lot to us,” he said Sunday. (more)

Airman from Jackson County’s Grass Lake killed in helicopter crash in Afghanistan, June 10, 2010.

An elite combat rescue officer in the U.S. Air Force, 1st Lt. Joel C. Gentz of Grass Lake died in a helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan.

The 25-year-old is the first Jackson County resident to die serving in Afghanistan. Gentz was assigned to the 58th Rescue Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Gentz and three other airmen were killed when their HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter went down Wednesday near Forward Operation Base Jackson, said Lt. Ken Lustig, a public affairs officer at Nellis Air Force Base. Three airmen were injured in the crash. (more)

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