Tech. Sgt. Ian Patterson, the airman who died in a rappelling accident Saturday, leaves behind two young sons and his wife, Niki Patterson.
“Our hearts are broken for Niki and her two young boys following the tragic loss of Ian, a beloved husband and father whose life was taken far too soon,” her brother Mitch Blunn wrote in a GoFundMe message.
He said the donated funds will be used to help Patterson’s family relocate to be close to extended family members for support.
The 15-year U.S. Air Force veteran died Saturday evening during a pregame ceremony at the Alamodome ahead of UTSA’s matchup against the Navy — an annual Salute to Armed Forces and Veterans football game.
The incident is under investigation by the Air Force. UTSA and the Alamodome did not respond to requests for comment.
Patterson was a Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) instructor assigned to the 6th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2, which operates out of Joint Base San Antonio and is headquartered at Nellis Air Force base in Nevada.
Video of his fatal fall during Saturday’s ceremony has circulated widely on social media.
The TACP Foundation, a nonprofit that supports members of the squadron’s community and their families, also organized a fundraiser and said they have seen an outpouring of support.
“My hope is is that folks focus on that versus the video and the commentary and everything else that’s going on because those kids deserve that, the mom and the family deserves that,” the organization’s executive director Ramiro Villalobos said.
“That really needs to be the focus, taking care of them and honoring them through this.”
The group has a special program in place to support Gold Star Families after a loss, providing kids with donations on special days like weddings and birthdays.
“That program’s motto is ‘We’re there because Dad can’t be’,” Villalobos said.
After the accident, the Air Force has not put public demonstrations on pause.
“There are no scheduled demonstrations at the moment for the unit [Tech. Sgt.] Patterson was a part of but public demonstrations will continue to be a method for community outreach,” a Nellis Air Force Base spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday.
An elite unit
TACP is an elite special warfare team in the Air Force that embeds with on-the-ground units to coordinate air strikes. Created during World War II, the group grew in prominence during the wars in the Middle East.
“This is a high attrition rate, incredibly grueling training that these patriots are going through and signing up for that involves a lot of high risk,” Villalobos said.
“They’re being designed to be able to be the ones that are going on the frontlines, incorporating fire, shooting, calling in airstrikes.”
Patterson was an instructor at Camp Bullis in San Antonio, where TACP teams pass through after basic training at Lackland before they head to Nellis.
TACP Foundations historian Nathan Bachand said that training at Camp Bullis is largely focused on building field skills.
“They do some insertion and extraction, you know, like fast rope and rappel, and a lot of shooting,” he said.
Bachand said the elite nature of the work and high recruitment standards of the group means that the TACP community is close-knit.
“It ends up being around 1,800 Air Force Special Warfare operators active duty at any given time,” he said.
Patterson was a decorated airman, in 2022 he was named the Air Force Special Warfare Enlisted Instructor of the Year at the Headquarters Air Force level.
Public demonstrations like the one before last Saturday’s game at the Alamodome in San Antonio are not uncommon. The military-focused news outlet Task & Purpose found four other demonstrations took place in San Antonio in recent years. They also note that demonstrations are usually done by highly trained units, like Patterson’s.
“Public demonstrations are part of the Department of the Air Force’s community outreach efforts, intended to foster positive relationships with the public and increase understanding of the Air Force’s people, mission and capabilities,” a Nellis Air Force Base spokesperson said.
The San Antonio Report’s military and veterans coverage is supported by Report for America.
This story first appeared in the San Antonio Report.