Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brent S. Cole

Died May 22, 2009 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

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38, of Reedsville, W. Va.; assigned to the 1st Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.; died May 22 when his helicopter went down in Tarin Kwot, Afghanistan.

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Always showed appreciation for family, life

The Associated Press

Brent S. Cole was a man who never failed to let his wife, son, friends and family know how much he loved them.

Even to the point that with a house brimming with people mourning his memory, a Father’s Day card arrived in the mail for his dad, Jack.

His son had sent it early from Afghanistan.

Cole, 38, of Reedsville, W.Va., died May 22 when his helicopter went down in Tarin Kwot. He was assigned to Fort Bragg.

He joined the Army in 1987 as a military policeman and was selected in 1998 to the Army’s Warrant Officer Flight Program. He excelled as an Army aviator and began flying the AH-64 Apache helicopter.

“He was a loving, dedicated husband and father who adored his family to the highest degree. As a military officer, he was a consummate professional who always led by example and was revered by his peers and leaders alike,” said Cole’s wife, Vanessa.

“His loss is a tragedy that words cannot adequately describe. Brent was an exceptional Army Aviation professional who died doing what he loved, flying Apache helicopters while answering his nation’s call to duty,” Col. Paul W. Bricker said.

He also is survived by his son, Carson.