US Air Force airman, 23, killed in freak accident at Space Force base

A US Air Force airman died when the heavy equipment he was operating at the Vandenberg Space Force Base rolled down an embankment, officials said.Airman 1st Class Cedric Eneluna was the only one killed in the freak accident at the California base Thursday.“Our Vandenberg family is grieving alongside Cedric’s loved ones and his teammates,” said US Space Force Col.James T.

Horne III, commander of Space Launch Delta 30 and Vandenberg Space Force Base.“He made a lasting impression on his teammates through his character, dedication, and genuine care for others.”Eneluna’s cause of death is still under investigation.It’s not clear what type of equipment he was operating at the time of his death.The 23-year-old, originally from the Philippines before moving to St.

Louis, Missouri, joined the military on March 5, 2024.Vandenberg was his first duty assignment, officials said.He was a member of the “Dirt Boyz,” a nickname reserved for US Air Force pavements and equipment specialists.The group supports Vandenberg’s launch, test and range operations.The base is used for launching satellites into Earth orbit and for testing intercontinental ballistic missiles without warheads in long-range missions that end in a splashdown at the Ronald Reagan Space and Missile Test Range in the Marshall Islands, Stars and Stripes reported.No one else was injured in the fatal incident.“Our Vandenberg family is grieving alongside Cedric’s loved ones and his teammates,” said US Space Force Col.James T.

Horne III, commander of Vandenberg Space Force Base.“He made a lasting impression on his teammates through his character, dedication, and genuine care for others.”...