Back in July (2013), I wrote about the death of Airman 1st Class (A1C) Kelsey Sue Anderson of Idaho, who died at Andersen AFB, Guam, on June 9, 2011. You can read that commentary HERE.

The family of A1C Anderson was getting the runaround from the United States Air Force (USAF) and very little assistance from their United States Senator, Jim Risch.

The family decided to file a lawsuit against the Air Force to find out more about their daughter’s death. The Air Force finally provided them with the requested information. The Associated Press also received information a few months later through a records request.

The AP reported that A1C Anderson “was stripped of her service revolver over mental health concerns, but her weapons privileges had been restored about a month before she used the gun to kill herself.”

A1C Anderson’s chain of command dropped the ball. 

As a veteran of the USAF, I can tell you that not everyone is cut out to be in the military. It’s that simple. It does not mean the member is a terrible person or any less a patriot. As a former military advisor to a U.S. Senator, I can tell you that a phone call or two can usually rectify the situation and get the member out of the military and on their way home in a few days. Yes, it is that simple.

I don’t know if Kelsey Anderson tried contacting her U.S. Senators or Representative, but she seemed to be crying out for help. Apparently her immediate supervisor and her chain of command failed to monitor her situation closely enough to provide that help. Now she is dead, and they will have to live with that fact for their rest of their lives.

Anderson should not have been allowed to carry a weapon in her condition. She should have never been allowed to work alone. Her situation could have been handled a lot differently.

Hopefully the Air Force has learned from its mistake and will monitor its people a lot more closely in the future.

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