Air Force Capt Das was assigned to the 333rd Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. Das was the pilot of an F-15E Strike Eagle (tail #88-1694) that went down during a combat mission. Eric was born in the Netherlands where his family was serving as missionaries, but grew up in Texas. He graduated from Amarillo High School in 1991, attended the Air Force Academy and graduated in 1995. He earned a degree in civil engineering. Following his commission he was assigned as a civil engineering officer at Kelly Air Force Base and he attended pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base in 1996. He was an instructor at Seymour before heading to the Persian Gulf (Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar). Eric was killed after volunteering to serve in Iraq to be close to his wife who was deployed there. He was remembered as a deeply religious, humble man who led an extraordinary life. On the night of Das' death, the mission was made especially dangerous by the clouds and several threats in the area. Das, called "Boot", was a top pilot who had been selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base. His father, Bruce Das, said his son's faith in God was his strongest quality. He said his son was a true gift to his family and he'll miss hunting, backpacking and discussions about their faith. Eric is buried at the Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado. NOTE: Some of the pilot's remains were recovered later (along with his Weapons Systems Officer's) a not-uncommon occurrence when a supersonic jet crashes in a combat zone, officials said. The families decided to have the newly found remains buried at Arlington. In a joint burial, the remains of Lieutenant Colonel William R. "Salty" Watkins III (1965-2003; U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1989) and Captain Eric B. "Boot" Das were laid to rest in a single casket, in a single grave.