Kimberly Hampton

Kimberly Nicole Hampton (August 18, 1976 – January 2, 2004) was a captain in the United States Army and the first female military pilot in United States history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire. She was also the first woman from South Carolina to die in the Iraq War.

Biography

Early life

Hampton was born on August 18, 1976, in Greenville, South Carolina, the only child of Dale and Ann Hampton. She was childhood friends with former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie. Growing up in Easley, South Carolina, she graduated from Easley High School, where she had served as the student body president, CO of the NJROTC unit, and captain of the tennis team."Female helicopter pilot was 'living my dreams'"
by Sharon Cohen, The Associated Press, published by ''USA Today'', 2004-09-09. Retrieved 2007-09-28. Hampton began her college career playing tennis for Furman University. She went on to be an honors graduate and champion tennis player at Presbyterian College. Hampton led the school team, the Blue Hose, to three consecutive South Atlantic Conference women's tennis tournament titles. She was undefeated in three years of conference singles play. She won the SAC awards for Women's Tennis Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998, and Female Athlete of the Year in 1998.

Military career

Hampton joined the United States Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) while in college. As a senior, she became only the second woman to serve as the school's ROTC battalion commander. Upon graduation, she attended flight training and Aviation Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where she completed the training with honors. She served two years in South Korea, and also in Afghanistan as part of the United States forces in Operation Enduring Freedom. Hampton was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina before becoming the commander of Delta Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment prior to the unit's deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in September 2003."Parents, fiancé lay to rest first woman from South Carolina to die in Iraq"
, Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-28.

Death and burial

Hampton died when the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter she was flying was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq on January 2, 2004. Captain Hampton was the first female military pilot in United States history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire.*. Wire feed distributed by Knight Ridder Tribune Business News.

She was also the first female combat casualty in Iraq from South Carolina. Captain Hampton's resting place is located in the cemetery section just east of the bell tower at Robinson Memorial Gardens on Powdersville Road near her hometown of Easley, South Carolina.

Honors

Hampton was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Air Medal, and Purple Heart. On June 10, 2004, she was inducted into the South Atlantic Conference hall of fame."Seven Inducted into South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame."
South Atlantic Conference. press release. June 11, 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2007. The South Carolina branch of the United States Tennis Association renamed its Tiger Hustle Award after Hampton. Presented to the most improved girl in the 12-and-under age division of the Wachovia Palmetto Championships, the renamed award was first presented in June 2004. The Easley High School NJROTC unit also named an award after her. In 2005, the Pickens County Public Library—Easley location—and the section of South Carolina Highway 88 were also named in her honor.  Retrieved 2007-09-28.

Since 2006, Presbyterian College has annually presented a scholarship to an ROTC student in Hampton's name.Presbyterian ROTC commissioning, 2006
Retrieved 2007-09-28. Archived at archive.org.

Book

Kimberly Hampton's mother Ann Hampton and journalist Anna Simon wrote a book about Kimberly titled ''KIMBERLY'S FLIGHT: The Story of Captain Kimberly Hampton, America's First Woman Combat Pilot Killed in Battle.'' It was first published in May 2012.

References

External links

Captain Kimberly Hampton Memorial Foundation website
in memory of Captain Kimberly Hampton and in service to military families.

Kentucky Legislature resolution
in memory of Captain Hampton.


in memory of Captain Hampton.




American Flag Pole Marker Dedicated to Captain Hampton

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hampton, Kimberly Nicole
1976 births
2004 deaths
People from Greenville, South Carolina
Presbyterian College alumni
United States Army officers
Women in the United States Army
Military personnel from South Carolina
United States Army aviators
American women aviators
Recipients of the Air Medal
American military personnel killed in the Iraq War
United States Army personnel of the Iraq War
21st-century American women