West Virginia Air National Guardsman Dies While Fighting Fire Started by Arsonist
Senior Airman Logan Young of the 167th Airlift Wing. Photo courtesy of the West Virginia National Guard.
West Virginia Air National Guard Senior Airman Logan Young, 30, was fatally injured while fighting a house fire started by an arsonist early Sunday morning, according to a WVANG press release.
“On behalf of the entire West Virginia National Guard, Amy and I extended our deepest sympathies to Logan’s family and friends during this difficult time. To lose such a talented and dedicated young Airman is truly a tragedy,” said Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, the West Virginia adjutant general. “Logan was a hero in every sense of the word and lived out the Air Force values of service before self in all that he did, which was on full display at the time of his passing. His service to his community as a first responder and member of the Guard will always be remembered. Our prayers are with his family, friends and the members of the 167th Airlift Wing. Our focus will be to provide every ounce of support we can to his family going forward as they have sacrificed so much.”
Young responded to a mutual aid 911 call for the fire Sunday morning. According to a West Virginia Air National Guard spokesperson, Young was fatally injured when a portion of the structure collapsed at some point while he was fighting the fire.
The 167th Airlift Wing responds to approximately 100 to 150 mutual aid calls in the Martinsburg area.
The West Virginia Fire Marshal Twitter account said another fire 3.1 miles down the road was started by the arsonist approximately 20 minutes before the fire that resulted in Young’s death. A $20,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for starting the fires.
Young first enlisted in the US Air Force in 2011 and served as a Security Forces airman. He had one deployment to the Middle East in 2014, according to the WVANG press release. Young switched over to the West Virginia Air National Guard in 2018. During his time in uniform, Young earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, and National Defense Service Medal.
He is survived by his mother, father, brother, and fiancee.
“Senior Airman Logan Young was a brave West Virginian who fought to defend his country abroad and protect his community here at home,” said West Virginia Congresswoman Carol Miller. “He is a true American hero whose legacy will always be remembered. My prayers are with his family.”
Joshua Skovlund has covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis that followed the death of George Floyd. Born and raised in small-town South Dakota, he grew up playing football and soccer before serving as a forward observer in the US Army. After leaving the service, he earned his CrossFit Level 1 certificate and worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. He went on to work in paramedicine for more than five years, much of that time in the North Minneapolis area, before transitioning to a career in multimedia journalism. Joshua is married with two children. His creative outlets include Skovlund Photography and Concentrated Emotion, where he publishes poetry focused on his life experiences.
The original plan was to send Ukraine 31 of the newer M1A2 Abrams, which could have taken a year or ...
The Biden administration announced Monday that it has determined all sides in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In its yearlong study of almost 900,000 service members who flew on or worked on military aircraft b...
American veterans are taking the lessons they learned in the military and changing the craft distilling industry.
In a memo released Thursday, Austin called for the establishment of a suicide prevention working gro...
The Sea Dragon 23 exercises that started on Wednesday will culminate in more than 270 hours of in-fl...
In his latest poetry collection, Ranger-turned-writer Leo Jenkins turns away from war to explore cosmic themes of faith, fatherhood, and art.
The Pentagon on Thursday released video of what it said was a Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on a ...
