R.I.P. Maj. Randell D. Voas

Air Force Maj. Randell D. Voas
Died April 09, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

43, of Lakeville, Minn.; assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; died April 9 near Kandahar, Afghanistan, in a crash of a CV-22 Osprey.

(The following was taken from wcco.com of Apr. 10, 2010) A U.S. Air Force Osprey crashed in Afghanistan Friday and killed four people, including the pilot from Minnesota.

Forty-three-year-old Major Randell Voas grew up in Eden Prairie. Voas died when the aircraft crashed near Kandahar. Voas graduated from Eden Prairie High School and also received a degree in biology from the University of Minnesota.

"Randy died doing what he loved doing," said Voas' father Dwaine Voas of Burnsville.

Dwaine Voas said his son loved his work and was proud to be supporting America. After college at the University of Minnesota, he entered flight training with the Army. He later became an Air Force pilot, flying a variety of aircraft including the Osprey.

"He loved his family, loved his kids, loved his wife," said Dwaine Voas.

The Voas family lived in Florida, close to Hurlburt Field where Randell Voas was assigned with the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Randell Voas' wife, Jill, is a St. Paul native. The couple has two children. Their daughter is a junior in high school and their son is in the seventh grade.

"Now that it's happened, we've been surrounded by and supported by our faith and by the love that we feel from family and friends," said Dwaine Voas.

A Pentagon spokesperson said this was the first time an Osprey has crashed during operations in a war zone. The Osprey takes off and lands like a helicopter and costs about $70 million per craft. Randell Voas' father said he had no concerns about the safety of the Osprey.

"It's been tested thoroughly. Randy described it to some of his coworkers as it was the Cadillac of aircraft," said Dwaine Voas.

The three other people killed in the crash were two service members and one civilian contractor.