Anthony Capra

Full Name: Anthony Louis Capra

Hometown: Hanford, California; Indian Head, Maryland

Rank/Branch: Technical Sergeant (Tech Sgt), United States Air Force

Key Unit(s):

• Detachment 63, 688th Armament Systems Squadron, Indian Head, Maryland
• 96th Civil Engineer Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida

Death: April 9, 2008 — Golden Hills area, near Balad Air Base, Iraq

Summary: Tech Sgt Anthony “Tony” Capra was an Air Force explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technician whose life and service reflected quiet courage and deep devotion—to his country, his family, and his teammates. A native of Denver with strong ties to Hanford, California, and Indian Head, Maryland, he entered the Air Force in 1997 and quickly found his calling in the EOD community. From Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to deployments downrange, Tony built a reputation as the kind of NCO you wanted on the job when things were at their worst: sharp under pressure, meticulous with details, and always willing to shoulder risk so others didn’t have to. He had already earned a Bronze Star during a prior Iraq deployment before returning again in 2008.

On April 9, 2008, during his 107th combat mission, Tony was conducting post-blast analysis on a roadside bomb crater near Forward Operating Base Paliwoda, in the Golden Hills area west of Balad. As he investigated the scene, he discovered a secondary improvised explosive device only a few meters away; while attempting to render that device safe, it detonated, fatally wounding him. For his actions and leadership, he was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device and Oak Leaf Cluster. Friends and commanders remembered him as a man who could light up a room, an EOD tech who made the lonely walk toward the threat so others could live, and a devoted husband and father of five whose legacy endures in the lives he protected and the freedoms he helped preserve.

Submitted by: Michelle King