Governor Tom Corbett today ordered all U.S. and Pennsylvania flags in the Capitol Complex and at commonwealth facilities in Berks County to fly at half-staff on Monday, April 22, to honor U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Jarett Yoder who was killed in Afghanistan on April 9.
Yoder, 26, of Mohnton, and fellow Pennsylvania Army National Guardsman Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Paul Ruffner, 34, of Indiana County, were killed when their AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan.
Flags shall remain at half-staff until sunset Monday, the day of Yoder’s burial.
Yoder joined the military in 2005 and, along with Ruffner, served with the 1-104th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion serving in Afghanistan since August 2012.
He first served in Company C, 1st Battalion 111th Infantry, as an infantryman and was deployed in 2008 to Iraq with Company C and the rest of the 56th Stryker Brigade. He began his military aviation career in 2010, serving as an aviation life support equipment officer and Apache pilot.
As announced yesterday, flags will be lowered in honor of Ruffner on Saturday, April 20, the day of his burial.
All Pennsylvanians are invited to join in this tribute.