Who were the 8 victims killed in the Edwards Air Force Base B-52 bomber crash?

Bereft loved ones, compatriots and community members mourned the losses of the eight people killed in Monday’s deadly B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base after the Air Force publicly identified the victims Wednesday.

The crew of eight — including active-duty Air Force officers, flight test engineers, defense contractors and a civilian government employee — was conducting a routine test flight for the bomber’s modernization program Monday when their B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff on Edwards’ 15,000-foot runway. Authorities determined the crash was “unsurvivable.”

After a 24-hour waiting period to notify next of kin, officials released the names of the eight victims Wednesday morning: Col. Gregory Watson, 53; Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40; retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50; Maj. Alexander Davis, 34; Maj. Robert Dee, 40; Maj. Brad Hovey, 35; Jeromy Smith, 32; and Christopher Rischar, 41.

“They were dedicated professionals, beloved family members and irreplaceable teammates,” Col. Thomas Tauer, commander of the 412th Test Wing, told service members and family members at the Kern County base. “Our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies are with their families, loved ones and fellow airmen, Air Force civilians and mission partners affected by this tragedy.”

Col. Gregory Watson

Col. Gregory Watson, 53, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was serving as a Boeing weapons systems officer aboard the B-52 Stratofortress when it crashed Monday, killing everyone on board. He is survived by his wife, Michele, and their six children.

Watson, an Air Force reservist recently assigned to the 10th Air Force, spent nearly a decade as a command weapons systems officer with the 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. He held numerous leadership roles, including commanding the 343rd Bomb Squadron, and logged more than 3,200 flight hours in the B-52H.

“He was a mentor, a leader, and a true friend to so many of us,” a spokesperson for the 307th Bomb Wing wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. The wing also made mental health counseling, chapel, crisis intervention, and military and family readiness resources available to its community following Watson’s death.

The Krewe of Gemini, a Mardi Gras organization in the Shreveport-Bossier community of which Watson, his wife and one of their daughters were members, also mourned his passing Wednesday.

“You will be deeply missed and never forgotten,” a spokesperson for the organization wrote in a Facebook post.

The Krewe of Gemini has strong ties to military families and veterans in the area. Watson attended the group’s theme announcement party Saturday, according to KTBS, the ABC affiliate in Shreveport.

The Town of Haughton and the Bossier Parish Police Jury also offered condolences and said flags would be flown at half-staff in honor of the eight crew members killed Monday.

Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella

Lt. Col. Gabriel Estrella, 40, of Louisiana was a weapons systems officer assigned to the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, Detachment 5, at Edwards Air Force Base.

Serving aboard the B-52 Stratofortress that crashed Monday was a “once in a lifetime flight” for Estrella, his widow, Brianna, wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday.

“He died doing what he loved,” Brianna Estrella wrote. “He woke up every day excited to go to work. He would tell anyone who would listen that being a Weapons System Officer was his dream job.”

Estrella was a devoted husband and father, Brianna Estrella wrote, adding that he always encouraged their children to pursue their dreams and build careers they loved. He is survived by his wife, daughter and two stepsons.

“My friend. My mentor. The father figure I never knew I needed,” Noah Lepper, 20, and Estrella’s stepson, wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday. “Thank you for always loving my brother and I unconditionally.”

Noah’s younger brother, Elijah Lepper, 18, graduated from Vista Murrieta High School in early June and is headed to San José State University to study aviation, according to his mother. His stepfather was his “best friend” and “biggest motivator,” he wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday.

Calling Estrella her “best friend,” Brianna wrote that her family’s “hearts are shattered. He is, and always will be, our hero.”

Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50

Retired Lt. Col. Miles Middleton, 50, of Tehachapi was working as a Boeing pilot on the B-52 modernization program when he died in Monday’s bomber crash. His sudden passing has left his wife, Pamela, to raise their two children alone, Melissa Lynch, a family friend wrote in a GoFundMe campaign statement.

Lynch organized the GoFundMe campaign on Monday to cover immediate expenses and create college funds for the couple’s son and daughter. Contributors have since raised over $120,000 of its $140,000 goal for the bereft family.

“I cannot make any sense of this at all,” Jerimy S.H., a close childhood friend who described Middleton as a “brother from another mother,” wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday.

Jerimy said he texted Middleton after hearing about the crash Monday to check whether he was all right.

“I constantly checked to see if it had been read, but this morning it still just says “Delivered,” he wrote. He added that Middleton was a natural-born leader, loving husband, father, and great friend.

“I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the next few days and weeks and months and years as I remember my friend, but right now I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that he is gone,” Jerimy wrote.

Maj. Alexander Davis

Maj. Alexander Davis, 34, of North Carolina, was a weapon systems officer for the 419th Flight Test Squadron, and had flown B-52 missions for years before the tragic crash that claimed his life. He is survived by his mother, aunt, uncle and other relatives.

“He was a proud airman that loved what he did,” Karen Davis Gardner, Alexander Davis’ aunt, wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University in 2015, Davis completed a master’s degree in space studies with a concentration in aerospace science from American Military University between 2018 and 2022.

He was selected for the prestigious Air Force Test Pilot School, stationed at Edwards, and attended the program after graduation.

In a professional biography posted on Canvas last updated in 2022, Davis demonstrated his passion for areospace studies and flight training, describing his extensive education and flight experience. He led bomber crews consisting of more than five people on missions lasting more than 36 hours and oversaw a squadron of 86 airmen, ensuring their combat readiness and coordinating logistics for transportation and lodging.

Maj. Robert Dee

Maj. Robert Dee, 40, of Edwards, was a pilot assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base. He is survived by his wife, Ashlee, and their three children.

“Robert was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, friend, and proud Air Force test pilot. He dedicated his life to serving his country and to the people he loved most,” Rebecca Sasser, Dee’s sister-in-law, wrote in a GoFundMe campaign statement Tuesday.

The campaign aims to “provide stability and support as Ashlee and the children adjust to life after this sudden and tragic loss.”

Contributors had raised over $45,000 for the bereft family as of Wednesday afternoon.

Community members also mourned Robert Dee’s loss, commemorating his impact.

“Some of you might remember him and his children at base camp around the fire making s’more,” Shelley Robinson, a member of Ready 2 Rock 4x4, a group of four-wheel drive off-road enthusiasts that Dee was a part of, posted on Facebook Wednesday.

“He will be greatly missed at High Sierra this year. Thank you for your service and your ultimate sacrifice.”

Maj. Brad Hovey

Maj. Brad “Slate” Hovey, 35, of Algona, Iowa, was a pilot assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base.

Hovey, a native Hawkeye, is survived by his family, including his 8-year-old daughter.

“Along with every Iowan, Kevin and I mourn the loss of Maj. Brad Hovey, and we offer our sincere condolences and prayers for his family,” Gov. Kim Reynolds wrote in a statement Wednesday. “Again, we are reminded of the incredible sacrifice demanded of every American who chooses to serve our country. As we honor Maj. Hovey’s life and service, let us never forget the cost of our freedom.”

A graduate of Adel-Desoto-Minburn High School, Hovey was nominated by Sen. Chuck Grassley to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs in 2008.

The ADM Alumni Association mourned Hovey’s loss in a Facebook post Wednesday.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Major Brad Hovey, ADM class of 2009, who tragically lost his life in the crash of a B-52 Bomber the other day at Edwards Air Force Base,” a spokesperson for the association wrote.

Before commissioning in the Air Force, Hovey earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering with a minor in military studies from Iowa State University, where he participated in Air Force ROTC.

Jeromy Smith

Jeromy Douglas Smith, 32, of Rosamond, was a flight test engineer assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron. He had become a father to his second son just four months before the crash.

He is survived by his wife, Lauren, his parents and his sons, ages 2 and 4 months.

“It can’t be real. There’s no way that it’s real. It was supposed to be another routine day of work,” Lauren Smith said Tuesday to KABC-TV in Los Angeles. “He’s been doing it for 10 years, and it’s the same routine every day. Get up, get ready, kiss me goodbye... I was heartbroken when I heard that his plane went down.”

Becoming an aeronautical engineer was Smith’s dream, and he was well-respected for his dedication and work ethic, Victor Smith, Smith’s uncle, wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday.

Jeromy Smith’s sister-in-law, Lindsey Smith, described Jeromy Smith as an “incredible husband and amazing father” in a GoFundMe campaign she organized Monday to help her sister navigate “being a newly single mom, while also having to grieve the love of her life.”

Contributors have since raised nearly $50,000 of the campaign’s $125,000 goal as of Wednesday afternoon.

Christopher Rischar

Christopher “Hustler” Rischar, 41, of Lancaster, was a JT4 contractor serving as a flight test engineer aboard the B-52 Stratofortress. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and their two teenage children.

Rischar was a third-generation Edwards Air Force Base employee, “following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and sharing their love of aircraft,” a family member wrote in a GoFundMe campaign statement. He worked at Edwards for 10 years as a test director and weapons systems integration engineer before his death.

Rischar married “the love of his life,” Rebecca, in 2009, and the couple had two children. Because he was a contractor, the campaign said, his family will not receive the same survivor benefits available to government employees.

“These funds would mean a lot to his family facing an uncertain future without him,” a family member wrote in the campaign statement.

Members of Rischar’s hometown church in Lancaster have also rallied to raise funds to ease the costs of housing and final arrangements for Rischar’s wife, Rebecca, who was a stay-at-home mother. The family faces the loss of their husband, father, and sole-breadwinner, and are “facing sudden, immense financial uncertainty.”