‘He excelled with honor’: Hurlburt Field Airmen travel to Atlanta for Airman’s funeral

ATLANTA, Ga. — Hundreds of Air Commandos at Hurlburt Field traveled to Atlanta on Friday for the funeral of Senior Airman Roger Fortson.

Fortson, 23, was killed earlier this month in an Okaloosa County deputy-involved shooting in Fort Walton Beach.

Hurlburt Field released this statement Friday evening while sharing pictures from the funeral:

We only accept high standards, determination to execute our mission … Any time, Any place,” said Col. Patrick Dierig, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing. “And I’ll tell you, Senior Airman Fortson answered the Call of Duty. He excelled with honor, professionalism, and confidence. Beyond his flying and combat accolades, he was a great person. And if you want to be a great Airman, be a great person….Senior Airman Fortson did just that.

The fatal incident remains under investigation by FDLE and the State Attorney’s Office.

You can watch the funeral here.

Friday night, hundreds came out for a vigil in Fort Walton Beach for Fortson.

Sabu Williams of the NAACP led community members, service members and faith leaders in remembrance of the 23-year-old.

“There is a cloud over our community,” a Fort Walton Beach Police Officer said. “You look at the rain that has fallen on us tonight, those may be the tears from heaven that are coming down on us. But the rain also stopped. And the rain has given us a chance today to come together in this time of remembrance…for the memory of Senior Airman Roger Fortson.”