Latest Sheppard dormitory christened Cunningham Hall for fallen war hero

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tonnette Thompson
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  It only took one day for the 882nd Training Group members charged with naming the new dormitory to narrow the endless list of possible candidates down to one. That's because one name held fast as their first choice throughout deliberations ... and in the end was the only logical choice.

For a facility that would house the next generation of Airmen, offer them a haven to learn and absorb the core values into their mentalities, what better name than that of a fellow Airman who exemplified those values throughout his career, at the heights of heroism and even into the final moments of his life?

So it came to be that Bldg. 882 at Sheppard was named for Senior Airman Jason Cunningham in a ceremony held at the new dormitory May 24.

Attending the ceremony was Airman Cunningham's widow, former Air Force lieutenant Theresa Cunningham-Miller, and their daughters Hannah and Meghan.

"This means a lot to me and my daughters," Mrs. Cunningham-Miller said. "This is one of the things that's so great about the military - they don't forget their own."

Airman Cunningham was a pararescueman, deployed to Afghanistan to take part in Operation Anaconda. Stranded on the Takur Ghar Mountain and under heavy Taliban and al-Qaida fire, Airman Cunningham labored to save the lives of his fellow servicemen. He repeatedly had to move his patients out of the line of fire, leaving himself exposed in the process. While running to tend to the numerous wounded, a bullet pierced his liver. He died six hours later on March 2, 2002.

"He was the first to give his life in the War on Terror. He embodied the spirit of the Airman's Creed. His legacy will live on as long as this building stands," said Brig. Gen. Richard Devereaux, commander of the 82nd Training Wing.

Airman Cunningham's efforts saved the lives of 10 servicemen, allowed for the bodies of seven others to be brought home for proper burial, and led to a posthumous Air Force Cross in September, 2002.

"He's our hero and always will be. He's even my husband's hero," Mrs. Cunningham-Miller said, referring to her second husband, Air Force Capt. Matthew Miller. Captain Miller, a H-60 pilot, was also in attendance, along with the couple's young son, Jackson.

The dormitory named for the late hero is the result of a 19-month, $25 million project, offering state-of-the-art living accommodations for Sheppard's 366th Training Squadron. With a capacity for 600 Airmen-in-Training, the facility also boasts five dayrooms, a computer room, four laundry rooms, a gazebo, volleyball and basketball courts, tables for pool, ping pong and foosball and Internet access in each dorm room.

"This is very nice. I know Jason and I never stayed in dorms like this," Mrs. Cunningham-Miller smiled.

Airman Cunningham's parents, Lawrence and Jackie Cunningham, were unable to attend the ceremony - choosing instead to visit Airman Cunningham's resting place in Arlington National Cemetery, Va.