This Memorial Day we remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to America, our freedom, and our security.

I’m honored to share the story of one such American hero, 1st Lieutenant Ashley White. Ashley was one of the first women to serve on a Cultural Support Team (CST) alongside US Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan. Female soldiers had previously been banned from combat roles.

Women in CSTs were trained to engage with Afghan women and children since it was culturally inappropriate for male soldiers to do so. This allowed them to gather intelligence, provide medical care, and support counter-insurgency efforts.

Ashley grew up in northeastern Ohio and joined the ROTC during her freshman year at Kent State University, where she studied sports medicine. She was commissioned as a Medical Service Corps Officer in the Army after graduation and served with the US National Guard in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In August 2011 Ashley deployed to Afghanistan and quickly earned a Combat Action Badge for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire. All of them survived. Three months into her tour, however, the Special Operations task force she was serving alongside in Kandahar Province triggered an improvised explosive device, or IED, killing her and two other soldiers.

Ashley was the first member of a CST to be killed in action. She was 24 years old and left behind a husband, parents, and two siblings, including her twin sister.

She was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. Her story is featured in the bestselling book, “Ashley’s War,” about her female unit’s highly specialized role and the tight bonds of friendship they formed during the war.

Thank you for joining us at Spirit of America in honoring Lieutenant White and all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to America.

All the best,

Jim Hake
Founder & CEO