Sean Endecott Elliott

Portrait of Sean Endecott Elliott

Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, March 20, 1987
Attended Stratford High School (Houston, Texas); graduate of Carlsbad High School (Carlsbad, California), 2005
University of California, Davis, B.S., civil engineering, 2009; Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity member and house manager; Interfraternity Council; Alpine Ski Team

Military Service

Military Education

Officer Candidates School, Quantico, Virginia, 2008
Commissioned as a second lieutenant on UC Davis campus, 2009
The Basic School, Quantico, 2010
Flight training, Marine Aviation Support Training Group-22, Florida, Oklahoma and Texas, 2011-12
Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training, Warner Springs, California, 2012
Tactical Air Control Party school, Little Creek, Virginia, 2015
Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, California, 2016

Military History

Officer selection assistant, Sacramento, October 2009-March 2010.
Operations duty officer, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, San Diego, November 2010-March 2011.
KC-130J co-pilot, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, North Carolina, October 2012-January 2016.

  •  Promoted to captain, 2013
  •  22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf, 2014
  •  Flew aerial refueling and transport missions in Europe
  •  Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, crisis response, Africa, 2015

3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, January 2016-February 2017.

  •  Air officer, NATO exercises with Norway for 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2016
  •  Forward air controller, Okinawa, Japan and South Korea, August 2016-February 2017

KC-130T aircraft commander, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 452, Marine Aircraft Group 49, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Newburgh, New York, 2017

Capt. Sean “Puffin” Elliott’s last mission was on the afternoon of July 10, 2017, co-piloting 'Yanky 72,' a KC-130T Hercules with a crew of nine Marines, transporting six other Marines and a Navy corpsman to California for training. The aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure while cruising at 20,000 feet, crashing in western Mississippi, killing all 16 aboard. Elliott had an enthusiastic, positive attitude. He will be remembered as a loving and giving son, brother and husband whose multiple interests included people, animals, competitive tennis, the outdoors and flying. He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

Decorations and Awards

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (2)
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korean Defense Service Medal
Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (2)
Letters of Appreciation (2)

 

Marines