Air Force 1st Lt. Devin Banks

Air Force 1st Lt. Devin Banks

Air Force 1st Lt. Devin Banks, Air Force 1st Lt. Devin Banks visit with Army Pfc. Joseph Kashnow, a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Dec. 19, 2003. Banks, who considers the military a "personal family thing" due to her brother's 15 years of service, wanted to lift injured service members' spirits.

1st Lt. Banks is a contracting officer stationed at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. DoD photo by Thomas Dennis, U.S. Air Force.

Governor Kitzhaber ordered all flags at public institutions to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, March 24, 2012, in honor of Air Force 1st Lt. Justin Wilkens. Devin Banks + Air Force + Iraq,


“Lieutenant Wilkens loved and learned to fly in Central Oregon,” said Governor Kitzhaber. “He was a dedicated Air Force officer and a loving brother, son and grandson. His death is tragic and he will be missed by many, but his legacy will not be forgotten.”

1st Lt. Wilkens, 26, of Bend, Oregon, died February 18 when the plane carrying him and three other special operations crewmembers crashed in Djibouti, Africa. He was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and was assigned to the 34th Special Operations Squadron based in Hurlburt Field, Florida.