Special Warfare Airmen ID’d in dive school fatality

The Air Force has identified the airman involved in a March 19th training fatality at the Air Force Dive School, located at Naval Support Activity Panama City, Florida. Airman First Class Keigan Baker, 24, was a Combat Controller assigned to the Special Tactics Training Squadron at Hurlburt Field.

Baker went missing during a surface swim at the dive school at approximately 11:05 a.m. on March 19th. Various rescue agencies were called into search for the airman, and was eventually found unresponsive and deceased at 4:30 p.m.

The Air Force Dive School instructs trainees to become combat divers, learning to use open circuit and closed circuit diving equipment to covertly infiltrate denied areas. The 8-week course provides training to depths of 130 feet, stressing development of maximum underwater mobility under various operating conditions. The school is a standard requirement for Combat Control upgrade training.

“This is a devastating loss to the entire Special Tactics community,” said Col. Matthew Allen, 24th SOW commander. “We are very grateful for Keigan’s willingness to serve our nation and vow to honor his memory.”

A1C Keigan Baker, from Longview WA, joined the Air Force in June 2018, earning Honor Graduate from Basic Military Training. Baker entered the Combat Control Pipeline, and earned the coveted Combat Control scarlet beret. Baker was assigned to the Special Tactics Training Squadron to conduct required upgrade training before being assigned to an operational unit.