Body of Fort Carson soldier killed in Afghanistan returns home to Ohio

The body of a 29-year-old Ohio soldier who died in combat in Afghanistan was returned to his hometown Wednesday.

A military plane carrying Army Spc. Joseph P. Collette’s body arrived Wednesday morning at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio. From there, a memorial motorcade carried his body to his hometown of Lancaster, roughly 30 miles southeast of Columbus.

The people for whom Collette put his life on the line for nearly every day lined the streets for him during his procession. There he was greeted with a flag, motorcade, salutes and complete strangers showing their support for him and his family.

Collette leaves behind his wife, Caela, his children, Blair and Cody, and step-children, Lena and Aria.

“The first second I saw him, it was love at first sight,” his wife said.

A common phrase she says was true to their love story. But their final conversation over text message is now remembered as his last words to his wife.

“He said, ‘I love you, we are going on a three-day mission but I’ll talk to you in 24 hours,'” she said.

His procession Wednesday is not only a welcome home, but also a sad goodbye.

The U.S. Department of Defense says Collette died March 22 of injuries received from enemy fire during a combat mission in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province. He was assigned to the 242nd Ordnance Battalion, 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, based in Fort Carson, Colorado.

This marks the third and fourth U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan in 2019 and comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to negotiate with the Taliban to help bring the conflict to an end.

Visitation for Collette will be Thursday at Faith Memorial Church in Lancaster. A funeral service will be held there Friday, followed by military honors at Maple Grove Cemetery.