01/31/2026
On September 28, 2005, the U.S. Air Force lost one of its own—and history was forever changed.
Airman First Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson, a 21-year-old security forces Airman, became the first female Airman to die in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the first member of Air Force Security Forces killed in combat since 1975.
That day, Jacobson was traveling outside the wire near Camp Bucca, Iraq, when a roadside bomb detonated beside her vehicle. She and her Army driver were killed instantly.
The news sent shockwaves through the Air Force.
Jacobson had been in Iraq for only three months. She could have remained on base, performing guard duty from the relative safety of a tower. Instead, she volunteered to ride with a convoy on a routine supply mission—determined, as she put it, to “pull her weight” and prove she was part of the team. When the call came for Airmen to deploy, she didn’t hesitate. She told her leaders it was “her time.”
That sense of duty had defined her from the start.
In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Jacobson made a decision that would shape her life. In 2003, she joined the Air Force, committing herself to service at a time when her nation needed it most. After graduating from security forces technical school, she was assigned to the 17th Security Forces Squadron at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, where she served as an installation entry controller and patrolman.
She loved the job.
“Elizabeth liked being a troop and was so proud,” her father later said. “She made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and the cause of freedom.”
For her courage and selfless service while engaged with enemy forces, Jacobson was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Today, her legacy endures. She has become one of the most recognizable faces in recent Air Force history and is honored among the service’s heroes in Air Force professional development materials—her story continuing to inspire new generations of Airmen.
Before her death, Jacobson once shared a favorite quote online, words that now echo with profound meaning:
“We’re only on earth for a little while.
So live life to the fullest and carry a smile.”
Her life was brief—but her impact will never fade.
