Capt. Scott P. Pace, 33, of Brawley, Calif., died June 6, in Qarah Bagh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his helicopter crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Capt Pace was born in Portland, Oregon on June 3, 1979. He was killed in action in Afghanistan while serving with Task Force Talon, 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army.
In 1980, he moved with his parents to Brawley, California, where he grew up with his younger brother and sister. He attended Miguel Hidalgo and Phil Swing Elementary Schools, Barbara Worth Junior High School and graduated from Brawley Union High School with the Class of 1997.
Scott was always active as a youth. He was a newspaper carrier for the Imperial Valley Press and was awarded the 1995 California Newspaper Carrier Foundation Award, Inc. Publisher's Award in San Francisco. He was an Eagle Scout in Troop 29 and received the Duty to God Award. He loved sports, playing little league baseball, swimming and soccer, but he had a special passion for basketball. In high school, he earned varsity letters in basketball and swimming. He was named as a member of the 1997 First Team All-Desert Valley League Basketball Team. He was also a Nominee to the 1997 McDonald's High School All-America Team. He was named the BUHS Outstanding Winter Athlete for 1997. He was active in other school activities including holding various class and school offices. He received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award and was a delegate to the California Boys State. He was a good student graduating fifth in his class and receiving the United States Army Reserve Scholar/Athlete Award and the United States Marine Corps' Distinguished Athlete Award.
He attended Brigham Young University for one year after high school and then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Cordoba, Argentina. Following his mission, he again attended Brigham Young University for another year. He was then accepted into the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in July of 2001 as a member of the Class of 2005. At the Academy he was active in athletics earning varsity letters in basketball and sprint football. He also played on the West Point Team Handball team. In his junior year, his team won the Division II USA Team Handball National Championship and Scott was named most valuable player for the championship tournament. His senior year his team won the Air Force Invitational Tournament and took second place in the Collegiate Team Handball National Finals; Scott was named to both All-Tournament Teams. He majored in nuclear engineering and graduated from the Academy with his brother on May 28, 2005. Following graduation, Scott entered flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he earned his wings and flew the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter. He served his first assignment with the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. He served as an aviation platoon leader, battalion battle captain, brigade aviation planner, and battalion operations officer. He completed two deployments to Iraq back-to-back, spending some twenty months in country. Upon his return, he was stationed at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, where he attended the Captain's Career Course in military intelligence. He was then assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In December of 2010, he took command of Fox Troop. As an aviation troop commander, he deployed to Afghanistan in September of 2011. He served with distinction. He was due to complete his deployment this next September. Had he done so, then out of the immediately previous fifty-three months of Scott's life, he would have spent about thirty-three of those months in the Middle East.
During his military career, Scott received the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the Army Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with a Campaign Star), Iraq Campaign Medal (with two Campaign Stars), Global War On Terror Service Medal, NATO Medal, Army Service Ribbon, three Overseas Service Ribbons, Army Aviator Badge, and Combat Action Badge.
Scott is survived by his parents, his brother, sister, Grandmothers, uncles and aunts, and cousins. He will be loved and missed by his family, his hometown of Brawley, his Troopers and fellow soldiers and his many, many friends scattered all around the globe.
There will be a viewing at 10:00 AM Friday, June 22, 2012, at Wheeler Mortuary, 211 East Second South, Springville, Utah, following which Captain Scott Patrick Pace will be interred at the Evergreen Cemetery, Springville, Utah.
(Names of the living omitted per Find a Grave guidelines)
Obituary and funeral information provided by Wheeler Mortuary.