Technical Sergeant David Alec Atkinson was born on April 21, 1958, in Altus, Jackson County, Oklahoma, to parents Ray H. and Aramenta L. Davis Atkinson. He grew up alongside one sister and three brothers. Atkinson pursued a career in the military, becoming a full-time employee of the Kentucky Air National Guard. He served with distinction as a member of the 123rd Tactical Airlift Wing’s Combat Control Team (CCT), a unit renowned for its specialized operations including establishing assault zones, air traffic control, fire support, and special reconnaissance missions. 

In his personal life, Atkinson was married to Deborah A. Atkinson, and together they had a daughter and a son. Tragically, on July 22, 1991, during an airborne training exercise at Hurlburt Field near Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Atkinson was fatally injured while performing a High Altitude, High Opening (HALO) parachute jump from approximately 12,500 feet. He was participating in military freefall training with members of the 1723rd Special Tactics Squadron from Hurlburt Field, Florida. Atkinson was the only combat controller in his unit with previous active duty CCT experience. 

The job of a combat controller is to deploy undetected into combat and hostile environments to establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control, fire support, command and control, direct action, counter-terrorism, foreign internal defense, humanitarian assistance and special reconnaissance in the joint arena. Combat Controllers are Battlefield Airmen assigned to special tactics squadrons. They are trained special operations forces and certified Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers.

The mission of the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron includes the Special Operations Aircraft mission, the Pararescue mission and the Combat Weather Mission.

Atkinson’s remains were laid to rest in the Good Shepherd Section of Beal Memorial Cemetery in Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Florida. Additionally, a memorial bench in his honor is located in the Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Lake City, Columbia County, Florida. His name is also inscribed on the Kentucky National Guard Memorial, located at Panel 3, Column 1, Line 4, commemorating his service and sacrifice. 

Technical Sergeant Atkinson’s dedication to his unit and his country is remembered by his family, friends, and fellow service members. His commitment to excellence and his ultimate sacrifice serve as a poignant reminder of the risks undertaken by those in military service.