Airman found dead on beach in Guam after search-and-rescue effort

The neighborhood at Andersen Air Drive Base in Guam is mourning after a lacking airman was discovered useless close to a neighborhood seashore Sunday morning.

The stays of Senior Airman Roque Santos, a fuels service middle controller with the thirty sixth Logistics Readiness Squadron, had been found close to Household Seashore after the bottom launched search-and-rescue operations to seek out him. Stars and Stripes reported Monday that Santos had been fishing Saturday and didn’t return when anticipated.

“The complete thirty sixth LRS workforce is in mourning over the lack of one among our personal,” his squadron commander, Maj. Stephen Moulton, mentioned. “Roque was our brother, a beloved member of the workforce and all the time dedicated to serving with honor and integrity as a controller.”

Santos was an avid spearfisher, and had been spearfishing on the time of his disappearance, Andersen mentioned in an e-mail after the preliminary publication of this story. An area Coast Guard search and rescue workforce notified Andersen at about 7:30 pm Saturday that Santos was lacking.

An investigation into Santos’ loss of life is ongoing, the bottom mentioned.

Santos started serving at Andersen in March 2022. Base officers mentioned he shortly established himself as a “standout performer.”

In his first function there as a fuels facility technician, Santos was in command of inspecting, sustaining and working the service’s largest fuels facility infrastructure, and saved gas flowing throughout 4 main multinational workouts.

His robust efficiency prompted his superiors to offer him extra accountability as a fuels service middle controller, managing 42 refueling property and 27 technicians throughout 2,000 operations.

Andersen mentioned Santos’ arduous work led his flight to be named the highest fuels administration flight for Pacific Air Forces in 2022, in addition to being named the 2022 Wing Massive Workforce of the Yr Award.

A base spokesperson mentioned in an e-mail to Air Drive Occasions that Santos was well-liked, and was “very enthusiastic about serving and being an airman.”

Moulton and Brig. Gen. Thomas Palenske, commander of the thirty sixth Wing at Andersen, mentioned the bottom is working to help Santos’ household and members of the bottom’s neighborhood who’re grieving.

“Roque was an integral a part of the Workforce Andersen household,” Palenske mentioned. “I wish to lengthen my deepest condolences to Roque’s household throughout this tough time. Our precedence is making certain that everybody affected by this tragedy will get the help they want. We’ll use this time to return collectively and honor Roque and guarantee he’s remembered.”

This story has been up to date with extra info from Andersen Air Drive Base.