2-13th Avn. Regt. dedicates building to honor fallen hero

By Kelly Pate, Public Affairs SpecialistJanuary 29, 2015

2-13th Avn. Regt. dedicates building to honor fallen hero
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2-13th Avn. Regt. dedicates building to honor fallen hero
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FORT RUCKER, Ala. (January 29, 2015) -- If you ask what kind of people buildings are named after, the chaplain for Army Aviation's Unmanned Aircraft Systems community will say it's the kind of people who change the face of America.

Chaplain (Maj.) Peter Uhde's opening remarks set the tone for the 2nd Battalion, 13th Aviation Regiment's building dedication ceremony on Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Jan. 20 to honor a fallen UAS warrant officer, by emphasizing high standards.

"We name this building so that young, impressionable individuals who pass through this doorway will stop and see that plaque and know what's expected of them," Uhde said.

For future generations of unmanned aeroscouts, that standard is CW2 Edward Balli.

"CW2 Edward Balli was the first UAS warrant officer killed in action. His will be an enduring example of personal courage, selfless sacrifice and duty for all our Soldiers present and future," said CW5 Randy Godfrey, chief warrant officer of the Aviation Branch.

Godfrey, along with Russell Hall, deputy to the commanding general for the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, and Sgt. Maj. Jesus Ruiz, USAACE sergeant major for training, attended the ceremony.

The event, which marked the one-year anniversary of Balli's death, included the unveiling of the Balli Hall name and commemorative plaque at the UAS training facility.

Balli, 42, of Kapolei, Hawaii, was killed in action Jan. 20, 2014, in Afghanistan while serving as a UAS warrant officer platoon leader with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Cavalry Regiment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On that night, Forward Operating Base Pasab was infiltrated and insurgents began firing rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire on the UAS flight line. Balli, who was asleep about 100 meters away, immediately responded to the complex attack, to defend his fellow Soldiers and help destroy the enemy. He was killed by enemy small arms fire. For his actions, Balli was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor.

Staff Sgt. Tyrone Jones was injured as he fought alongside "Chief" Balli that night.

"If I needed anything, I always had someone I could go to," Jones said. "What Chief wanted in his NCOs was someone that knew how to get work done. What was most important above all else was training. Training everyone to take over the next guy's job," Jones said.

Lt. Col. Kenneth "K.C." Bradford, assistant chief of staff, G4 for 4th Infantry Division who was Balli's squadron commander at the time of the attack, described Balli as a courageous leader and a man of integrity who cared deeply for his Soldiers, understood the importance of his mission and adhered to the warrior ethos.

"He was able to take a team, in this case in Afghanistan, and conduct more UAS operations than any other UAS platoon inside the theater at that point in time," Bradford said.

Balli, who enlisted in 1998, served 11 years as an NCO, and was commissioned as a warrant officer in 2009. He spent four of his 15 years of Army service deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan flying UAS for the Army in support of the Global War on Terror.

Balli served as a Shadow UAS operator and UAS warrant officer.

"Sharing Edward's story is imperative. It reminds us that all service members share risks. We are Soldiers first. Each of us may be called to defeat the enemy in the face of fire just as the UAS platoon of 2nd Cavalry Regiment did on January of 2014," Bradford said.

Balli family spokesperson, Michael Donios, who is Balli's stepson, said the family was grateful for the tribute.

"It's beyond what we could have imagined. It's such an honor, and to feel the support from the Army family, it means a lot …to everybody. He was a great person, great father and even more dedicated Soldier. We're just thankful," Donios said.

Family members who attended also included Balli's wife, Kristy, daughter, Momilani, and sister, Ofelia Balli Lopez.

Col. Shawn Prickett, commander of the 1st Aviation Brigade, said Balli is an example of what is best about the UAS community.

"I think the Aviation Branch has a lot to be proud of as we continue to use and take advantage of the asymmetric capability UAS brings not just to the Branch but to the Army and the joint force, to the fight. At the heart of that is the Soldiers we have operating these unmanned aircraft systems, and that is really what the unit does well. The technical portion is important, but the leader development portion is important, as well," Prickett said.

"It's a fitting tribute to an American hero," he said. "And the Balli family is an Army family for life."

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Fort Rucker, Ala.

U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence