U.S. Airman Dies During Pregame Ceremony at UTSA-Naval Academy Game in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Controller died after falling from the rafters of the Alamodome during a pregame ceremony before the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) – U.S. Naval Academy football game. The airman fell from the stadium ceiling in front of thousands of spectators watching the pregame ceremony on Saturday evening.

The airman was part of a four-man team scheduled to rappel from the rafters as part of the opening ceremony. The ceremony was part of UTSA’s “Salute to Armed Forces & Veterans Game.” According to Task & Purpose, an online defense news publication, a spokesperson for Nellis Air Force Base issued a statement confirming the death of the airman and indicated the incident is currently under investigation.

The four team members who rappelled from the stadium rafters, more than 150 feet above the field, were stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis. As spectators looked on in shock, medical staff immediately tended to the injured airman before he was transported to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

After the critically injured airman was taken from the field, the football game between the Navy Midshipmen and the UTSA Roadrunners continued. The American Conference, a collegiate athletic conference in the NCAA, issued a statement in a post on X that read, “The American Conference is deeply saddened by tonight’s pregame incident at the Alamodome. Our thoughts are with the individual involved, their family and colleagues, and everyone who witnessed or was impacted by it.”

The airman who perished in the accident was a member of the 6^th Combat Training Squadron, Detachment 2. The unit trains Air Force Tactical Air Controllers, airmen who direct airstrikes from ground positions during times of war or conflict. The unit is headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas. The detachment participating in the Alamodome ceremony is based at Joint Base San Antonio’s nearby Camp Bullis.

UTSA issued a statement offering support to students who attended the game and witnessed the shocking event. The statement provided crisis hotline contact numbers and was shared on several online platforms, including Instagram. In part, the statement read, “We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at the start of tonight’s football game. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the soldier who was affected, his family, and military colleagues. We recognize that members of our campus community may be emotionally affected by this incident and are activating wellbeing services to support our faculty, staff, and students.”

The airman’s identity was not released as of press time.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.