TOP STORY >>Little Rock Airman killed in Iraq

By Staff Sgt. Kati Garcia
314th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. John Self, a security forces specialist from the 314th Squadron Forces Squadron, was killed Monday by a roadside bomb near Baghdad, Iraq.

Sergeant Self was in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since September on a 365-day deployment.
“John volunteered for this deployment while he was [already] deployed,” said Chief Master Sgt. Keith Morris, 314th SFS security forces manager. “We discussed this deployment via e-mail. He said he made his decision to deploy again to gain experience.”
According to reports, Sergeant Self was on patrol in Baghdad when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Self family as they grieve the tragic loss of this Airman warrior and son,” said Maj. Allan Fiel, 314th SFS commander. "We mourn his death. He was a great NCO and he loved doing what he was trained to do."
Sergeant Self was aware of the danger he faced as he executed his mission in the Middle East.

Chief Morris shared an excerpt from one of Sergeant Self’s e-mails, where the Airman stated “As far as the heat of danger goes, every time a military member comes to the desert, they’re in the heat of danger... It’s my job to be in the heat of danger.
“Whether it’s looking for insurgents, guarding detainees, or sitting on a fenceline, it’s all dangerous,” he wrote. He is a Pontotoc, Miss., native who arrived here in March, 2004. He is survived by his mother, Jill.