Wilson said the honoree of the run, Senior Airman Jonathan "Jake" Antonio Vega Yelner, 24, of Lafayette, Calif., had been a member of the Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team.  Yelner was assigned

to the 28th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., serving with the 755th Air Expeditionary Group at Bagram Air Field.  Trained as a weapons loading specialist for B-1 bombers, he had

volunteered for the in-lieu-of tasking as a Humvee driver for the Kapisa and Parwan PRT.   

"We stand shoulder to shoulder lining (the main road) all hours of the morning and evening (service members line the sidewalks of BAF during fallen comrade ceremonies), and this is yet another way for us to honor all our fallen comrades and continue to remember Jonathan," said Kapisa and Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Commander, Lt. Col. William D. Andersen.

Staff Sgt. Lee Millis, Southern Kapisa Civil Affairs team sergeant who was present in the vehicle the day Yelner lost his life, Apr. 29, 2008, led the formation across the finish line carrying the guidon.  He says

the sequence of events during the attack plays through his head every day.  

"It felt like we were hit by a truck, and although I had my earplugs in, my ears were ringing and my head was aching for several days after the attack," Millis said, explaining how their vehicle was struck by an

Improvised Explosive Device (IED) outside the village of Bedreau on their way back to Fire Base Kutschbach, located in Tag Ab district, Kapisa province.

Millis said only one road leads into and out of the village, and an IED buried in the center of the pathway was command wired and detonated as they passed through.  

"We were the third vehicle in a large convoy, and after a rocket propelled grenade was fired at the lead vehicle, Airman Yelner aggressively and accurately maneuvered the Humvee to allow the gunner to

return fire."

Yelner was instantly killed in the explosion that claimed both legs of the interpreter seated directly behind him.  "The gunner received shrapnel wounds to his lower back and right extremeties, but he was not

badly injured," Millis reported, explaining how he and fellow passenger, Capt. Casey McCausland, worked to apply tourniquets to both legs of Ahmad Rashad Mushfiq.  

Mushfiq, nicknamed "Richie," was rendered unconscious by the explosion and didn't learn of Yelner's death until he awoke at Craig Joint Theater Hospital on Bagram. 

During Friday's run, a vehicle transporting Richie trailed the PRT element and a short distance in front of the finish line it broke formation and allowed Richie to walk, with the use of canes and prosthetic legs, alongside Millis and the commander, leading the PRT across the finish line.  

Richie has continued to work for the PRT, answering phone calls and translating documents as he attends physical therapy and awaits the process of attaining an American Visa.  

"The General (Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, commanding general, RC-East and Combined Joint Task Force-101) visited me in the hospital," Richie said, describing how supportive the military has been following

his injury.  

Richie says McCausland and Millis take good care of him, advocating for him to receive disability payments, new adequate prosthetics, and anything necessary to attain an American Visa.  He hopes to finish school and study medicine someday in the United States.  When asked about future goals, Richie responded thoughtfully and from the heart, "Tell the PRT I need to work as an interpreter for the PRT."    

During the run, Staff Sgt. Melanie Denison provided medical support in the trail vehicle.  As a 40 year-old medic going through pre-deployment training, she said it took her about 15-20 minutes longer than everyone

else to complete the ruck marches.  She remembers her friend Yelner, who used to encourage her.

On the first day of training at Fort Bragg, waiting to enter the combat simulation room, she voiced out loud her desire to be back at home playing "World of War Craft" online.  

"I heard a voice from behind me ask what server I was on," Denison remembers, as she explained her server LLANE happened to be the same server Yelner used, and the two were familiar with each other from the

online game.

During their time together at Fort Bragg, Yelner and Denison shared similar interests and even watched the Super Bowl game together.  "He asked me what team I was rooting for and I told him the Giants," she

said as she smiled, remembering his playfulness in declaring that he was the sole determinant in rooting for the Patriots!

Tech. Sgt. Ron Boulanger, structural craftsman working primarily with quality assurance and quality control for the PRT, remembers Yelner as larger than life.  "I didn't think anything could ever hurt him, and I don't think he had any enemies," Boulanger shared, also noting Yelner's constant smile and vibrant personalilty.

1st Sgt. Felipe Richards most remembers his talks with Airman Yelner. "He was my driver and guidon bearer before he convinced me to let him go to work down to Kutschbach," Richards recalled, reflecting on Yelner's

determination and enthusiasm to make a difference.

Members of the PRT describe Yelner as having been devoted to his Jewish faith.  The interpreter, Richie, shared that on many nights, he and Yelner stayed up late discussing religion.  "He was Jewish and praying

all the time.  He had a good impression about Muslim people and was always helping me to stay out of trouble and to do the right things."

Airman Yelner really believed in the mission of the PRT to help the Afghan people, Richards said.  He also desired to become a rescue paratrooper in the future so that he could continue helping people.

Yelner is survived by his father, Bruce Yelner of El Cerrito, Calif., his mother, Yolanda Vega of Lafayette, Calif., and his younger brother, Matthew "Max" Yelner.

"Fallen comrade ceremonies always seem to be for somebody else, but this one hit home," said Master Sgt. Robert Torrey, S1 for the Kapisa and Parwan PRT.

"When you lose somebody, it effects you in a lot of ways," reflected Richards, sharing the PRT vision about the SrA Yelner Memorial Run.  

The chain of command felt this event is a great way to honor and celebrate not only the life and service of Airman Yelner, but also the team work and strength of finishing out the mission together.  

"With everything we went through, we had to depend on each other more, and crossing the finish line was a way to show people that we're still a team," Richards said. 

Also, the run was a way to say "Thank you" to Airman Yelner.  He cared deeply for his country, fought for its freedom, and paid the ultimate sacrifice.   

Lt. Col. Andersen found it harder to talk about than he thought it would be, "It's amazing how emotion can ambush you sometimes."

"Yelner was the only one who would go jogging with me, the only one who would volunteer to spend time with the grumpy old man," Andersen said, expressing that he and his wife plan to travel together in the future

and meet Jonathan's parents in person after going through so much together with them this year.

Airman Yelner frequented an online MySpace page, which indicates he last logged in on Apr. 18, 2008.  He described himself on his MySpace page as a "Puerto Rican Heart Throb living each day like my last...and...I live life like I want to so that I am not one of those guys who says, '...I wish I did that'."

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(027)  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - The Kapisa and Parwan PRT run in

formation during Friday morning's 5.7K SrA Yelner Memorial Run held on

Disney Drive to honor all fallen comrades.  Senior Airman Jonathan

"Jake" Antonio Vega Yelner, 24, of Lafayette, Calif., lost his life on

Apr. 29, 2008, after the Humvee he was driving was struck by an

Improvised Explosive Device (IED) outside the village of Bedreau on the

way back to Fire Base Kutschbach, located in Tag Ab district, Kapisa

province.

(072)  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - More than 500 runners and walkers,

consisting of military service members and civilian personnel at Bagram

Air Field, competed as the Kapisa and Parwan PRT element assembled for a

formation run honoring the life and service of Senior Airman Jonathan

"Jake" Antonio Vega Yelner, 24, of Lafayette, Calif.  Airman Yelner lost

his life during an attack on Apr. 29, 2008, after the Humvee he was

driving was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near Fire

Base Kutschbach, located in Tag Ab district of Kapisa province.

(075)  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - The Kapisa and Parwan PRT interpreter,

nicknamed 'Richie', lost both his legs in the explosion on Apr. 29,

2008, costing Airman Yelner his life.  During today's run, a vehicle

transporting Richie trailed the PRT element and a short distance in

front of the finish line it broke formation and allowed Richie to walk

alongside the commander, leading the PRT across the finish line.  

---------------------------------------

Thanks,

Brannon Lamar

Ft. Polk Public Affairs

(337) 531-1418 

      Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED 

Caveats: NONE