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•CAPTAIN SCOTT F. AUSTIN
Captain Scott Ford Austin, was born February 7, 1969, in Genoa, Ohio. He passed from this life to one of eternal peace on December 15, 2018, in Denton, Texas.
Scott was a 1987 graduate of Rossford High School and entered the U.S. Army in August, as a medical specialist in August 1987, attending Airborne school enroute to the 82nd Airborne Division, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He loved the Army, he loved jumping and soon obtained jump master qualifications.
Scott wanted more, so he applied for Ranger school and after receiving his Ranger Tab was assigned to Camp Frank D. Merrill (the Ranger School’s Mountain Ranger Camp in Dahlonega, Georgia). While serving with the Rangers he made the decision to apply for Special Forces.
Scott said the assessment and selection process was the toughest time of his life, but was determined to make it happen so, in 1992, he graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course, earned his coveted Green Beret, and was assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (MOS 18B) and was cross trained as a sniper. Scott wore his Green Beret with great pride and was devoted to his team and his role on the team as the team’s sniper.
Scott was encouraged by his peers to apply for Officer Candidate School to use his natural leadership skills. He accepted the challenge and in January 1997, Scott graduated Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry with his mother proudly pinning his 2nd Lieutenant bars on.
On completion of the Infantry Officer Basic Course and the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle Commander Course, Fort Benning, Scott was then posted to Company E, 51st Infantry Regiment - V Corps’ Long Range Surveillance (LRS) Company, attached to the 165th MI BN (Tactical Exploitation), at Darmstadt, Germany deploying as a LRS Commander, Long Range Recon with, OPCON to the 82nd Airborne Division into Bosnia from November 1997 to March 1998 as part of Operation Joint Endeavor and into Kosovo from January to June 1999 as part of Operation Joint Guard.
Returning from his overseas assignment in late 2000, Scott attended the Aviation Officer Advanced Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and the Combined Arms Service Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, before being posted to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York, in 2001.
At the beginning of the Global War on Terror, Scott deployed with the first elements of the C Company, 4 Battalion, 31st Infantry, 10th Mountain Division into Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in December 2001 to December 2002 and then, from March to December 2003, he was deployed to Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, Africa as part of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA)
His final military assignment was to Combined Arms Leaders Team as a Leadership Instructor for the Infantry Officer Advanced Course (IOAC) at the U.S. Army Infantry Center and School at Fort Benning. Scott retired August 31, 2007, with 20 years of service in the Army.
After retirement he obtained his Master Captain’s license and had a fishing charter operation in Florida. He also had obtained his private pilot’s license and taught skydiving in Arizona.
Scott’s awards and decorations are: Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster (OLC), Army Commendation Medal with two OLC, Army Achievement Medal with two OLC, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Good Conduct Medal with two loops, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Overseas Service Ribbon, Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon with numeral “2,” Army Service Ribbon, United Nations Medal, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Badge and Air Assault Badge.
Left to cherish memories of Scott are his wife, Deborah; sons, Sage Austin and Tyler Austin; grandsons, Carson and Jaxon Austin; parents, Gary and Diana Austin; brothers, Tim (Jennifer) Austin, Douglas (Amee) Austin USAF(Ret), and sisters, Deanna (Terry) Buckley and Christine Austin. Scott was preceded in death by his grandparents, Herbert and Dorothy Samson, and Evelyn Austin.
Respecting Scott’s wish, he was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with military honors on June 30, 2021.