Tech. Sgt. Peter Kraines, a special tactics pararescueman with the 24th Special Operations Wing, died Tuesday from injuries sustained while practicing mountain rescue techniques, Air Force Special Operations Command said Thursday.

Kraines, 33, was taking part in a training exercise in Boise, Idaho, AFSOC said. His death is now under investigation.

“This is a tragic loss to the special tactics community,” 24th SOW commander Col. Matthew Allen said in the release. "We are grateful for the support from our community and our [AFSOC] teammates. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates at this time.

Kraines, who was from Albany, New York, enlisted in the Air Force in March 2011 and immediately began training to become a pararescueman. After completing training two years later, he was assigned to the 347th Rescue Group at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia. In 2017, he joined special tactics and the 24th SOW, which is located at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

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Kraines was a military static-line jumper, a free fall jumper, a combat scuba diver, and was certified as an emergency medical technician, the release said. When he joined special tactics, he was trained to immediately deploy into combat operations to conduct combat search-and-rescue and personnel recovery operations.

Among his awards and decorations were an Air Medal with one oak leaf cluster, an Aerial Achievement Medal, an Air Force Commendation Medal, an Air Force Achievement Medal, an Air Force Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.

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