QUANTICO, Va. -- On December 21, 2015, thirteen members of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations-led Task Force Crimson were conducting a dismounted patrol near Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, when tragedy stuck in what was later described by then-AFOSI Commander Brig. Gen. Keith Givens as, “our command’s darkest day.
Task Force Crimson was a combined AFOSI and U.S. Air Force Security Forces operation whose focus in Afghanistan was to provide counterintelligence support to force protection at Bagram Air Base. The joint multinational force protection effort also included activities off installation in sometimes hostile or unsecured areas near the airfield.
On that fateful day, the patrol was conducting a mission to meet with a key host nation leader outside the perimeter of the airfield, when it was approached by a motorcycle that was carrying a hidden explosive device. Upon reaching the patrol, the motorcyclist detonated the explosive which was contained inside the internal components of the vehicle instantly killing six members of the patrol and severely wounding three others. The patrol consisted of five Special Agents, six Security Forces Defenders and two civilian linguists.
Killed in the attack were:
Special Agent Adrianna Vorderbruggen, 36, assigned to the 9th Field Investigations Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Special Agent Michael Cinco, 28, assigned to the 11th Field Investigations Squadron at Joint Base San Antonia-Randolph, Texas.
Special Agent Peter Taub, 30, assigned to Detachment 816 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota.
Special Agent Chester McBride, 30, assigned to Det. 405 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
Tech. Sgt. Joseph Lemm, 45, assigned to the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York.
Staff Sgt. Louis Bonacasa, 31, assigned to the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York.
Wounded in the attack were Special Agent Johnathan Jackson, Tech. Sgt. Bryan Nelson, and civilian linguist Wazma Popal.
Reporting the loss to the command the next day, Givens wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you of the deadliest day in our command’s history. We lost four brave Special Agents and two patriotic Security Forces members on a joint patrol outside of Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. The AFOSI family will undoubtedly rise to the occasion yet again and honor these great Americans, but for now, I ask for your thoughts and prayers to go out to the loved ones of the fallen.”
Memorial efforts for remembering the fallen, who would subsequently become forever known as the “Hustler 6,” began immediately when Givens authorized the wearing of the mourning band across AFOSI Special Agent badges and all individual building access identification badges for 30 days.
Two days after the attack, over 200 service members representing multiple armed forces branches from nearly every unit on Bagram Air Base gathered inside a large tent there and took a brief pause to honor the fallen.
“Today’s a day we remember and honor the sacrifices our fellow Airmen made for us, our country and our freedoms,” said Special Agent Heather Garver, a fellow member of Task Force Crimson and currently AFOSI’s 12th Field Investigations Squadron commander. “While we mourn the loss of our family members, and care for our injured, we must remain united. Our fallen heroes would want us to bounce back and press on with the mission we are here to carry out. We may be wounded, but we’re not broken.”
Task Force Crimson’s mission would indeed carry on. During the early stages of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, the first AFOSI personnel arrived at the airfield at Bagram in Feb. 2002, to what was then designated simply as a forward operating location. It would later grow into the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan. Expeditionary Det. 2405 was established at Bagram on March 15, 2004, assuming the Task Force Crimson moniker when Air Force Security Forces later joined the AFOSI-led team. The last AFOSI presence at Bagram Air Base left June 23, 2021, after nearly 20 years of overall operations and more than 5 and a half years after the Hustler 6 attack.
The first leg of the dignified transfer of the remains of the fallen back to the United States occurred Dec. 23 when a ramp ceremony was conducted at Bagram Air Base in front of a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft. The tarmac was filled with Airmen, Marines, Soldiers and Sailors, all standing in formation in front of the aircraft, joined by general officers from all the services who had traveled there from all over the country.
When the transport vehicles carrying the remains of the fallen arrived the entire cadre of military personnel came to attention. Each of the flag-draped caskets was solemnly carried to the C-17 while TAPS was played, each formation offering salutes as they passed. On board the aircraft, a procession of AFOSI and Security Forces comrades in arms knelt and touched the tops of the caskets as they passed by, many leaving unit coins as a symbol of appreciation and gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
The C-17 departed Afghanistan and landed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, in the early evening hours later that same day. The aircraft was met on the tarmac there by the command team from AFOSI Region 5. Before departing for the United States, an additional dignified transfer ceremony was conducted. This ceremony was attended by over 200 AFOSI Special Agents and Security Forces Defenders from locations across Europe, each individually paying their respects and saluting the caskets of the fallen.
“Our Fallen Warriors are on home soil,” AFOSI headquarters informed the command on Dec. 24, shortly after the aircraft carrying their remains arrived at New Castle Air National Guard Base, Delaware, diverted from Dover Air Force Base due to weather. The Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force joined AFOSI headquarters leadership and the families of the fallen to greet the C-17 when it landed. Despite pouring rain, they were joined by over 100 AFOSI Special Agents and other personnel from units across the country who were on hand to pay their respects and offer salutes during the conclusion of the final leg of the journey home.
Funerals for the fallen began Dec. 30, 2015, with the interment of Joseph Lemm at a cemetery in his home state of New York. Louis Bonacasa was interred the next day, Dec. 31, in New York. Chester McBride was interred Jan. 6, 2016, in Georgia. Michael Cinco was interred Jan. 6, 2016, in Texas. Peter Taub was interred Jan. 8, 2016, in Pennsylvania. The final funeral for the fallen from Hustler 6 occurred Jan. 19, 2016, when Adrianna Vorderbruggen was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.
On Jan. 7, 2016, more than 650 people attended the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial Chapel on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, as AFOSI headquarters conducted a memorial ceremony honoring the lives and mourning the loss of the Hustler 6.
“I truly believe we remain a free nation because of the valor, selflessness, and strength of men and women like Adrianna, Michael, Peter, Chester, Joseph, and Louis,” Givens said. “They understood the risks inherent to their mission but were still prepared to give their lives in defense of our country. They were focused on protecting the base’s inhabitants so no one else had to experience a similar tragedy. Their service and sacrifices were not made in vain. Instead, they set the standard and issued us the charge to continue their mission with the same vigor, precision and determination.”
The ceremony at Quantico, Virginia, was also attended by Special Agent Johnathan Jackson, one of the three Task Force Crimson members wounded during the attack, who received a standing ovation from all in attendance. Jackson would later receive a Bronze Star award for his efforts by extracting the wounded linguist to a position of cover and administering life-saving measures following the attack.
Also, during the ceremony at Quantico, Givens conferred Honorary Special Agent Status upon Lemm and Bonacasa, marking the first time any Security Forces Defenders had been bestowed this title.
“Each of these Fallen Heroes lived a life that mattered,” Givens said, concluding the ceremony. “Many warriors have said over time what is done in life, echoes in eternity. Their service will echo in eternity.”
Four months later, AFOSI headquarters conducted a Portrait Unveiling Ceremony, May 16, at the Little Hall Auditorium on Marine Corps Base Quantico. The ceremony was held to reveal the completed painted portraits of the Hustler 6 fallen that would be displayed within the AFOSI Hall of Heroes, that were located on the second floor of AFOSI headquarters at the Russell-Knox Building on Marine Corps Base Quantico.
Following the ceremony, the paintings were transferred to the AFOSI Hall of Heroes where each was hung on the wall and every Fallen Hero family was given a private opportunity to reflect privately with the portrait of their loved one.
“We have created for ourselves, an altar of freedom and from time to time we lay sacrifices upon this alter,” said Rev. Christopher Vorderbruggen, brother of Adrianna Vorderbruggen, at that ceremony. “Bless now these works of art that they may be tokens of honor and tools of memory. Grant they assist us and future generations in remembering the sacrifices the six heroes here and their families and loved ones have made. The six heroes of AFOSI’s darkest day were not doves, rather they were noble eagles.”
Remembrance efforts for the Hustler 6 have not stopped as time has passed over the 10 years since Dec. 21, 2015. There are numerous facilities, structures and memorials across USAF installations which bear the names of the fallen. Examples of these include the Chester McBride Auditorium at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; the Peter Taub Building at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; and the Michael Cinco Facility at Beale Air Force Base, California. There is a memorial tablet placed in honor of Adriana Vorderbruggen at Hurlburt Field, Florida, in addition to a display case in her memory at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The memorials to the Hustler 6 are not just limited to military installations. Louis Bonacasa has a bridge named after him on the Long Island Expressway in New York and Joseph Lemm has a statue dedicated to him at the Police Academy in Queens, New York. Further, all six names of the Hustler 6 fallen are also inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.
In addition, numerous activities are held each year across the command which mark the anniversary of the loss of the Hustler 6. As recently as Dec. 2025, one such event occurred at Arlington National Cemetery with the Annual AFOSI Security Forces Memorial Ruck Walk. This gathering was attended by AFOSI personnel from across the National Capital Region, to include Brig. Gen. Amy Bumgarner, AFOSI’s current commander.
“This is part of our history and of our legacy, and even though it brings up sad memories, it is important for us to get together to remember and honor their sacrifice,” Bumgarner said. “Thinking back 10 years, there were a lot of tears that happened that day. It was a very sad time for the command. AFOSI is a family, and these are our family members. Remembering them, not just on anniversaries but every day, is important because they were our teammates and our friends. They were a part of us. We’ve made a promise to them and we made a promise to their families that we will never forget them.”
Ten years removed from speaking at the memorial at Bagram Air Base that was conducted just two days after the attack on the Hustler 6, Garver reflected: “Loss has a profound impact, and December 21st signifies the reminder of sacrifice, duty and honor that serving in the military carries. This is the day they gave their last full measure of devotion to our country, and I believe it’s important to continue to honor and remember their selfless devotion. It’s important to tell their stories, understand what serving means, and the impact they continue to have.”
“They say you die twice: one time when you stop breathing and a second time, a bit later on, when somebody says your name for the last time,” said Special Agent Meghan Hilton, AFOSI’s 12th Field Investigations Squadron senior enlisted leader, who also served with members of Hustler 6. “While it may be 10 years since the loss of Hustler 6, the teammates we lost are still very much alive in our thoughts today as we pass our Fallen walls every day in the halls of AFOSI units and host Hustler 6 memorial walks, runs and rucks across the world. To some, these men and woman are strangers. Symbols. We remember them with respect and gratitude, while wondering if we will ever be called upon to face the same dangers and choices. To others, they were dear friends and teammates, remembered with a longing for and cherishing of warm memories that we shared together.”
Nearly every AFOSI field office across the world pays tribute to the Hustler 6 and all AFOSI’s Fallen Heroes with heritage displays at the headquarters, squadron, detachment and operating location levels. These displays serve as eternal monuments where the memories of the fallen are kept alive by the many people who pass by them every day and stop briefly to look at the portraits, who silently read the accompanying inscriptions, who sometimes say their names aloud, but most importantly who choose to simply take a few moments to pause and remember them.
"The sun never sets on the Hall of Heroes,” Givens said, in 2016. “We didn't invent the legacy, but it's our responsibility and duty to honor it.”
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Special Agent Adrianna Vorderbruggen
“Adrianna was humble and took life as it came to her, accepting challenges as gifts and opportunities to grow. There was no task delegated to her that she feared.” – Chaplain Joseph Hoang, colleague, 2016.
Special Agent Michael Cinco
“He was such a great person. If anybody was mad or upset, he’d find a way to make them laugh.” – Angie Reyna, sister, 2016.
Special Agent Peter Taub
“He was a stand-up guy. He made me laugh. He made us all laugh.” – Special Agent Irney Parton, colleague, 2016.
Special Agent Chester McBride
“Chester was selfless, always looking out for whoever he was associated with.” – Travis McBride, cousin, 2016.
Tech. Sgt. Joseph Lemm
“He put people around him at ease. He could talk to anybody. He always had a hug for people. If people needed help, he was there.” – Cheryl Johnson, teacher, 2016.
Staff Sgt. Louis Bonacasa
“Thank you for showing me that true love is the greatest gift on earth. Through our love you have given me special memories that I will treasure forever.” – Deborah Bonacasa spouse, 2016.