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Warrior, wingman, friend – Osan remembers fallen Airman

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
  • 7th Air Force Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Friends and wingmen of 303rd Intelligence Squadron Senior Airman Corey Stump packed the Osan Chapel to overflowing June 4 to remember a dedicated and talented linguist who consistently put his wingmen ahead of himself.

Corey, born in Indianapolis Feb. 29, 1988, died of injuries sustained during a hiking accident on Jeju, Republic of Korea, May 29.

Friends and coworkers choked back tears and held one another as images of Corey's life and career flashed on a screen at the front of the chapel and a photo of his smiling face looked over the people whose lives he had touched and who had now come to say goodbye.

His friends took turns speaking at the podium, painting a picture of a man who cared for those around him, loved animals and seized life at every opportunity. His leaders described a young Airman who drove himself to attain the responsibilities of NCOs several grades higher and never failed to earn their respect in the process.

Senior Airman Kenisha Stills spoke of Corey's ability to get to the heart of a problem and how he was always willing to listen when she had a problem.

"When Corey spoke, he had no intention of saying what you wanted to hear," she said. "He had a way of speaking that adjusted your sight from the problem to yourself. I lost Corey, but I have those talks to guide me on."

"He was your most honest critic and your strongest supporter," noted his friend, Senior Airman Michael Roman. "I wasn't there the day he decided to be that way because he had always been that way. And I don't know when or even if he knowingly decided to embody the kind of man I aspire to be, but he did."

Although in the same unit, Staff Sgt. Adam Thomas didn't get to know Corey until their trip, but instantly saw a little of himself in the 26-year-old. He called upon the group to help Corey live on.

"If you loved him, take a part of him with you," he asked, "And share him with someone else."

Col. Lourdes Duvall, 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing deputy commander, spoke of how Corey's work in Korea helped keep others safe.

"He served here during an uncertain time," she noted. "His work helped deter aggression and bring stability to the region. Life is better for all of us because of the life he lived."

Capt. Ryan Gustafson, one of the Airmen who rendered first aid to Corey, said that despite knowing him for only a day, he had come to like and respect the man.

"I saw a man that was adventurous," he tearfully shared. "I saw him sit on top of the world. ... I saw him pass. I would have ripped my own heart out if it would have helped."

Looking up at the assembled Airmen with tears in his eyes, he swore to them, "He was never alone for a second. We never left his side, and I know he will never leave our hearts."

Corey is survived by his mother, Tami Bowman and stepfather, John Bowman; his father, Tim Stump; brothers Daniel Stump and John Bowman; and sisters Kylie, Chanda, Stacia and Andrea Bowman.