Pope AFB Airman killed in action

Pope AFB remembers Senior Airman Goodman, of the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron. Airman Goodman died May 26 while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Airman Goodman is the fifth Team Pope Airman killed in action since Sept. 11, 2001 and the first from the 43rd Airlift Wing (U.S. Air Force Photo)

Pope AFB Airman killed in action

Pope Airman remembered: A tribute to a fallen comrade

Published May 27, 2009
By Master Sgt. Jason Neisen
43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron

POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Senior Airman Ashton Goodman arrived at Pope directly from Technical Training School in October of 2006. From the moment she arrived, it was clear that she was an extremely intelligent, energetic and motivated Airman. Within six months, she obtained her tractor-trailer certification and immediately volunteered for convoy duty in Iraq.

In April of 2007, she graduated the Basic Combat Convoy Course (BC3) and deployed to Southwest Asia. She was assigned to the 424th Medium Truck Detachment. As a tractor trailer operator she drove countless miles on nearly every Main Supply Route in Iraq. By June of 2008, she was selected for a 365-day deployment. This time it was to perform convoy operations in Afghanistan.

Before her untimely passing, she was trying to extend her current deployment. When asked why she would want to extend, she replied "I want to be deployed because I enjoy it and I feel like I'm really serving my country and helping the people." That one statement defines her character more than anything else.

Airman Goodman was always seeking the next challenge or adventure. She was working hard to find a deployment or assignment to the new U.S. Africa Command. She really wanted to do well on that continent and throughout the world.
She was also a talented writer, recently having her first article published. Since the article's release, it has been posted on the Air Force's official Web site at http://www.af.mil/news/ story.asp?123149734 .

One of her main goals was to become a Noncommissioned officer. She was aggressively studying for her promotion test. She was a great Airman and would have been a great NCO.

She was an extreme animal lover. She had two cats and three fish, but her favorite was her talking Parrot named "Jaken Bacon." She knew all kinds of animal facts and was working toward becoming a veterinarian. She was always lively and friendly. She worked hard, played hard and did her best in everything that she did.

Information about Airman Goodman's memorial is forthcoming.