Bay Area woman among 6 airmen killed by suicide bomber in Afghanistan
(FOX NEWS/BCN) - One of the six U.S. service members who died in a Taliban suicide bombing in Afghanistan Tuesday was a woman, a senior U.S. defense official tells Fox News.
She was identified as Air Force Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen, a service member who fought for LGBT rights, and one of the first to get married in a same-sex wedding ceremony.
Vorderbruggen had recently moved to the Bay Area with her wife, Heather Lamb and young son, Jacob. She is survived by both of them.
Originally from Plymouth, Minnesota, Vorderbruggen had been living with her wife and son in Florida.
They recently moved to San Rafael to live with Lamb's mother just before Vorderbruggen was deployed to Afghanistan, according to the Military Partners and Families Coalition, an organization providing support to families of LGBT service members.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of these brave Americans who died in service to this vital mission, and our thoughts remain with all of our troops serving overseas during this holiday season so that we may have peace and security at home," U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said in a statement.
Vorderbruggen was one of the first gay people in the U.S. military to have her marriage legally recognized when the country's controversial "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy was repealed five years ago. She celebrated by
signing her family up for military benefits, according to the coalition.
A statement on the coalition's Facebook page said, "We can take small comfort in the fact that they will be extended the same rights and protections due any American military family as they move through this
incredibly difficult period in their lives."
"She was one of the most friendly and laid-back people you could ever hope to meet and was an accomplished airman, a great athlete, and most of all, a wonderful mom," coalition representatives wrote. "She leaves an indelible legacy of strength and selflessness to all those touched by her life."
Vorderbruggen had been with the Air Force since enrolling in the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1998. She earned a master's degree in forensic sciences from Georgetown University in 2010 and worked as a forensic science consultant with the Air Force, according to her LinkedIn page.
Two of the victims were airmen from Stewart Air National Guard Base in New Windsor, New York, officials confirmed Tuesday. And on Monday, New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton named one victim: Detective Joseph Lemm, a 15-year NYPD veteran.