Capt. Matthew D. Roland was the guy people depended on, turned to, looked up
to. He was, to quote a teammate, “the kind of man other men strive to
emulate.”
He was a “man’s man” who could fix or build anything. He was the guy who
“could fit in any crowd” and “lead any team.”
This is how Roland was remembered as he was laid to rest at Arlington
National Cemetery with full military honors, Sept. 18, 2015.
More than 100 family members, teammates and service members attended the
service to honor Roland here, a special tactics officer assigned to the 23rd
Special Tactics Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
Roland, 27, a native of Lexington, Ky., had two weeks left before
completing his six-month tour in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel
when he was killed from wounds sustained in an attack at Camp Antonik,
Helmand Province, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2015.
Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley, 31, a combat controller, was killed in the same
incident and was buried with full military honors earlier this week in
Pensacola, Fla.
Although the death of a service member is always a loss to the country,
teammates recognize the gaping hole he leaves behind, this man who could
seemingly do anything.
“I envy his talent and his skills,” Capt. Ben Self, a fellow STO and
pipeline teammate, said of Roland. “But the attribute that stood out to me
most was his unflinchingly stoic presence when we needed it most.”
From the beginning of his Air Force career, he was known for his incredible
fortitude in difficult situations. Classmates from the U.S. Air Force
Academy recall him as a rock during stressful times; he was the guy who
remained cool under pressure and supported those who weren’t.
He was also known as a dedicated and focused individual; by junior year of
college, he set his sights on becoming a STO. To accomplish this, he
committed himself to rigorous preparation before his Academy graduation in
2010.
Once assessed and selected into the STO pipeline, he completed the two-year
training program, which included military freefall, combat dive school and
advanced special operations training.
Throughout his special tactics training, Roland continued to be someone
that Airmen of all ranks looked to for motivation and inspiration.
“I was his team leader, but oftentimes those roles would shift as I would
seek his council and sound advice,” said Self. “I relied on Matt when times
were toughest, and I will continue to do so as his memory lives on through
all of us.”
Roland was assigned to the 23rd STS once he graduated from the Special
Tactics Training Squadron as a qualified STO trained to integrate air power
into special operations ground missions.
There he was an assistant team leader within the squadron, leading a group
of pararescuemen, combat controllers, tactical air control party, and
special operations weathermen, before growing into the role of the primary
battlefield ground commander for that team.
“Matt Roland was a unique officer; he was unmatched when talking military
strategy, and would surprise senior leaders with his knowledge,” said Master
Sgt. Jarred Hodges, his team’s enlisted leader who served directly with him
at the 23rd STS. “As a team leader, he cared for the men and loved the
mission. All he wanted was to take the fight to the enemy.”
This dedication to country and mission was honored during the ceremony when
his family was presented the carefully-folded American flag.
Before the casket was lowered, Special Tactics members honored Roland with
one final salute and stamped their flash, or their Special Tactics badge
found on their beret or uniform, onto the casket.
“[Roland’s] legacy will remain, and the lives he touched will forever be
influenced,” Self said, “I will miss him, and we will never forget him.”
Roland is survived by his parents and sibling. He also leaves behind the
entire Special Tactics community of active-duty operators, combat mission
support and retired Special Tactics Airmen and families.
“The men of Special Tactics will forever remember,” Hodges said of his
leader, “the titan that was Matthew Roland.”
