Photo By Erin Thompson | Capt. Derek A. Dobogai read more read more
by Erin E. Thompson, USAICoE Staff Historian
UH-60 CRASH CLAIMS LIFE OF RECONNAISSANCE SCOUT
On 22 August 2007, a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying a ten-man scout platoon from the 25th Infantry Division crashed near Kirkuk, Iraq. Among the casualties was intelligence officer Capt. Derek A. Dobogai.
Derek Dobogai was born on 27 May 1981 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from the Winnebago Lutheran Academy in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1999. He attended Western Illinois University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2003 with a degree in law enforcement and justice administration. Throughout his schooling and early military career, Dobogai was noted for his athleticism and academic success. While attending undergraduate school, Dobogai was a member of the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC). When he received his active-duty commission as a second lieutenant of Military Intelligence in 2003, he also received the university’s Colonel Leo W. Manning Outstanding ROTC Cadet Award and was ranked fourteenth out of more than 4,000 ROTC cadets nationwide.
Initially branch detailed to Infantry, Dobogai attended the Infantry Officers Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, as well as the U.S. Army Ranger School and U.S. Army Airborne School. He was assigned to the 2d Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Following completion of his training, Dobogai served a tour in Afghanistan, during which he was named the 25th Infantry Division’s “Lieutenant of the Year.”
Between 2006–2007, Dobogai deployed to Iraq and was detailed with a Special Forces unit in command of a brigade scout platoon. In March 2007, he was promoted to captain. Captain Dobogai was well liked by the members of his unit. One soldier later wrote, “Dobogai was always more than willing to help soldiers, and no matter what the situation, he could always lighten your mood.” Other soldiers described him as “a great man,” “a man of character,” and an “outstanding leader, role model, friend, and brother in arms.”
On 22 August 2007, 26-year-old Dobogai and his team were completing a reconnaissance mission in northern Iraq. Following the successful operation, his team was picked up by two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. En route to their forward operating base, the helicopter Dobogai was riding in—call sign “Jenna”—suffered a mechanical failure and crashed near Kirkuk, Iraq. Ten reconnaissance scouts and four UH-60 crew members died in the crash. Captain Dobogai’s team included: S. Sgt. Jason L. Paton, Sgt. Garrett I. McLead, Cpl. Jeremy P. Bouffard, Cpl. Phillip J. Brodnick, Cpl. Joshua S. Harmon, Cpl. Nathan C. Hubbard, Spc. Michael A. Hook, Cpl. Jessy G. Pollard, and Spc. Tyler R. Seideman. The Black Hawk crew from the 4th Squadron, 6th U.S. Air Cavalry Regiment, included Capt. Corry P. Tyler, CWO2 Paul J. Flynn, Sgt. Matthew L. Tallman, and Spc. Rickey L. Bell.
Captain Dobogai was buried in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. A few days after his death, Captain Dobogai’s family released a statement reading: “He deserves to have his accomplishments proclaimed to the world but would not have wanted it that way. Derek would never be one to boast. Therefore, we will honor him with quiet strength.” Since 2009, Dobogai has been honored with a 5K Memorial Run/Walk in Fond du Lac and at Western Illinois University. He is also honored on the Military Intelligence Corps Memorial Wall at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
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| Date Taken: | 08.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2024 15:22 |
| Story ID: | 478858 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 299 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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