BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. — A new memorial has been established at Barksdale Air Force Base to honor the crew of TORCH 11, providing a dedicated space for remembrance, reflection, and respect.
Base officials said the tribute stands as a lasting reminder of the crew's service, sacrifice, and continued impact on Team Barksdale. All members of the community are welcome to visit the site to pay their respects and take a quiet moment in honor of the crew.
The memorial honors the eight individuals who died when a B-52 Stratofortress, callsign TORCH 11, crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California last Monday. The aircraft was departing on a routine test mission to support the Radar Modernization Program when it crashed and burst into flames. The U.S. Air Force confirmed the crash was unrecoverable and unsurvivable.
Those with local ties are Col. Gregory Watson, 53, a weapon systems officer, Boeing (Air Force reservist, assigned 10th Air Force, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas), and Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, weapon systems officer, Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, Edwards AFB, Calif.