I Got The News Today (IGTNT), which is one of the oldest continuous series on Daily Kos, provides members of this community a venue to pay their respects to those who have died as a result of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve. The IGTNT title is a reminder that far too often the family of an active duty service member receives the terrible news that their beloved has died.
Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Air Force 1st Lt . Anais A. Tobar
Please join us tonight as we honor, respect and remember the loss of an exceptional Air Force officer who died far away from home in Abu Dhabi while serving in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.
1st Lt. Anais A. Tobar, 25, of Miami, Florida, died July 18 in Southwest Asia from a non-combat-related injury.
She was assigned to the 4th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina. DoD News Release
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Anais Tobar’s family immigrated to the United States, when she was just a young child. Anais attended Osceola High School where she was a respected member of the ROTC. After her 2009 graduation she earned a degree from Florida State University. Immediately following graduation from FSU Anais enlisted in the Air Force.
Tobar was stationed in the UAE as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the US-led military operation against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. The maintenance squadron, part of the 4th Maintenance Group, Air Combat Command, is responsible for equipment maintenance for the largest F-15E Strike Eagle fighter wing in the Air Force. The squadron has 600 personnel. ~ Air Force Times
On Monday, Lt. Tobar was found deceased in her room. The Air Force said her death was non-combat related. Tech Sgt Phillip Butterfield of the 4th fighter wing public affairs office said:
"At this time the incident is still under investigation. The US military follows certain processes and procedures to ensure everything related to the incident is found so the exact cause of the incident can be determined."
Childhood friend, Mercy McGee said six Air Force officers delivered the news to Tobar’s mother on Monday afternoon. She added that Anais was planning on coming home in slightly more than a month.
"She told her mom on Saturday that when she came home she wanted to travel with her and her dad and take a trip. She was hoping for that. She had an infectious smile. She would walk into any room and just light up the room completely. There are not enough words to tell you what a loving and wonderful girl she was. She was God-fearing, deeply devoted to serving others and her country.”~ Mercy McGee, childhood friend
“It hurts, she was one of our commanders. She was an outstanding cadet. Everyone loved her. What she wanted to do in life is to be in the Air Force, be an officer, travel around, see things all over the world and she got to live her dream”. ~ ROTC Instructor, Major Jeffrey Miller
"The entire base joins me in sending our deepest sympathies to the Tobar family during this period of bereavement. The bonds that tie the air force family together are strong, both down-range and at home station. This tragedy affects us all; put your arm around those who are grieving, both personally and professionally." ~ Fourth Fighter Wing Commander, Colonel Christopher Sage
“I know I'll really miss her, she opened my eyes and brought perspective to me in small but significant ways about people and humanity. We talked about big things like feminism or what service looks like or the refugee situation in Syria and I learned a lot from her and thought pretty highly of her. Big ideas didn't intimidate her. Her parents raised a thoughtful, outgoing, inquisitive and honestly proud American. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to have known her. She understood the implications of service and citizenship at an intellectual level that is really rare (in my expertise) for someone in the AF, especially for a young officer. She brought those traits with her wherever she went. She will be dearly missed." ~Captain Whitehouse, Seymour Johnson AFB link
In 2015, 1st Lt. Tobar was awarded the Fourth Maintenance Group's Company Grade Officer of the Year
“She was always smiling; she had a huge smile. She was always laughing.” ~Alejandro Tobar, Brother
We lost half of our lives". ~Ana Maria Tobar, Mother
1st Lt. Anais A. Tobar is survived by her mother, Ana Maria; her father, Angel and her brother, Alejandro.
Funeral services are being arranged through Caballero Rivero Coral Gables Funeral Home in Miami and the burial will be held at South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida.
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About The IGTNT Series
"I Got the News Today" is a diary series intended to honor, respect, and remind us of the sacrifice of our US troops. Click here to see the series, which was begun by i dunno in 2004 and now is maintained by Sandy on Signal, i dunno, noweasels, blue jersey mom, Chacounne, twilight falling, SisTwo, SpamNunn, TrueBlueMajority, CalNM, Wide Awake in Kentucky, maggiejean, Ekaterin, TheFatLadySings, Joy of Fishes, and me, JaxDem. These diaries are heartbreaking to write, but are an important service to those who have died and show our community’s respect for them. Diaries about the fallen usually appear two days after their names are officially released, which allows time for the IGTNT team to find and tell their stories.
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Please bear in mind that these diaries are read by friends and family of the service member(s) mentioned here. May all of our remembrances be full of compassion rather than politics.