Hometown: Florence, AL
Branch: U.S. Air Force
Unit: 43rd Flying Training Squadron, Columbus Air Force Base
Military Honors: Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal
Date of Sacrifice: April 23, 2008 - Columbus Air Force Base, Columbus, MS
Age: 39
Conflict: No declared conflict

Blair Faulkner was raised in the small city of Florence in the northwestern corner of Alabama, along the Tennessee River—where he graduated from Mars Hill Bible School in 1986.

Three years later, Faulkner joined the U.S. Air Force in August of 1989, and served with the Alabama Air National Guard from 1989-1994. He graduated from the University of North Alabama with a degree in Marketing and Business in 1992.

Faulkner’s dream was to be a pilot, and the Air Force offered him the opportunity. With his call sign “Bama,” his first military assignment was as a navigator on a KC-135R Stratotanker with the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham, Alabama, where he served from 1996-1999.

From 2000-2005, Faulkner was an A-10 fighter pilot with the 706th Fighter Squadron in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Beginning in 2006, Maj. Faulkner was assigned to the 43rd Flying Training Squadron at Columbus Air Force Base in Columbus, Mississippi. There he served as an Active Guard instructor pilot, training other pilots in a T-38C Talon II—a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer aircraft.

At the time, the United States was engaged in the Global War on Terrorism, an international military campaign fought mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan. The effort was led by the U.S. in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon outside of Washington D.C.

When not on military duty, Faulkner worked as a Continental Airlines pilot. In 2003, he and Rachel Bobo married and would later welcome two children: son Davis, and daughter Campbell.

On April 23, 2008. Major Faulkner was training a student pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Matthew Emmons of Corry, Pennsylvania. On their initial takeoff from Columbus Air Force Base, a problem with the flaps on their T-38 caused the plane to roll to the left.

Recognizing that the aircraft was not responding to controls, the pilots tried to eject. But the plane was nearly upside-down and too low for them to safely bail out. Maj. Blair Faulkner, 39, and Lt. Matthew Emmons, 24, were both lost in the crash.

According to the U.S. Air Force, “The accident investigation board determined the cause of this mishap to be mechanical failure of the right aileron, which failed in the full down position before takeoff.”

A man of deep faith and devotion to his family, Maj. David Blair Faulkner also lived his dream to fly. He’s recognized as an accomplished pilot, logging 2,735 flight hours.

Sources
Details and card photo submitted by Ms. Rachel Faulkner Brown—Maj. Faulkner’s Gold Star Wife
Folds of Honor presents the story of Davis & Campbell Faulkner-Brown (Video)
Columbus Air Force Base: Two Columbus AFB pilots fatally injured in crash
The Patriot All-America: Soldier Honored: David B. Faulkner
Air Force: Air Force officials release report on Columbus T-38 accident
Redstone Rocket: Air Force widow shares joy of deep faith
The Times Daily, April 27, 2008: David B. Faulkner