Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon posthumously awarded the Governor’s Medial for Valor and Patriotism to Capt. Ariana G. Linse Savino in a ceremony at the National Cemetery last month. Capt. Linse Savino was one of the six Air Force crew members killed in a crash in Iraq on March 12. Their KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft crashed while on a mission.
The Governor’s Medal was presented along with an American flag to members of the captain’s family. Her parents , sister and brother, squadron mates, and members of veterans’ organizations were present at the ceremony. With the governor were Brig. Gen. Carlos J. Rivera Román of the National Guard, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, State Command Sgt. Maj. Juvencio Méndez, and Veterans Advocate Agustín Montañez.
This was the first time this honor has been presented posthumously.
Capt. Ariana G. Linse Savino
The governor described Capt. Linse Savino as “A daughter of Puerto Rico, distinguished by her extraordinary valor and her unwavering devotion to the service of our Nation. Her life, sacrificed in combat, stands as an enduring testament to the highest ideals of courage, sacrifice, and honor. With profound gratitude, the people of Puerto Rico cherish her memory and draw inspiration from her legacy of heroism.”
A colleague, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Ernesto Nisperos, said Linse Savino “infused pride in her heritage and positive energy into everything she did.”
Linse Savarino was the Chief of Current Operations Pilot at the 99th Air Refueling Squadron in Alabama. She had been a Flight Commander at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and then became a KC-135 pilot in Mississippi. She had flown 348 combat hours.
Part of Puerto Rico’s patriotic legacy
Puerto Rico’s sons and daughters have served in the U.S. military since the American Revolution. Linse Savino is the latest in a long line of American heroes who have received honors for their service. It is ironic that Puerto Rico’s military men and women cannot vote for their Commander in Chief.
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