{"id":27572,"date":"2019-11-25T16:44:42","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T16:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/25\/recovery-search-suspended-for-combat-controller-lost-in-gulf-of-mexico\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:49:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:49:12","slug":"recovery-search-suspended-for-combat-controller-lost-in-gulf-of-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/2019\/11\/25\/recovery-search-suspended-for-combat-controller-lost-in-gulf-of-mexico\/","title":{"rendered":"Recovery search suspended for combat controller lost in Gulf of Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The military has suspended its efforts to recover the body of Staff Sgt. Cole Condiff, a combat controller who was lost in the Gulf of Mexico<\/a> from a C-130 earlier this month, the Air Force said in a Saturday release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Condiff had what the Air Force referred to as an \u201cunplanned parachute departure\u201d on Nov. 5, south of Hurlburt Field, Florida<\/a>. Since then, four branches of the military, including the Air Force and Coast Guard<\/a>, conducted round-the-clock efforts first to try to save Condiff, and later to recover his remains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Condiff was with the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Operations Wing, and was a static-line jumpmaster, military free-fall jumper, combat scuba diver, air traffic controller and joint terminal attack controller who deployed to Africa and Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, his parents, sister and two brothers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile this is a time of great loss across our organization, I am incredibly grateful for the response of our joint teammates, local agencies and community partners who rallied for 17 straight days to help find our airman,\u201d 24th Commander Col. Matt Allen said in the release. \u201cWe may come from different backgrounds, but we all share a common bond of service to others. Although no substitute for bringing him home, I hope the commitment and resolve on display over the last few weeks provides a small measure of comfort for Cole\u2019s loved ones.”<\/p>\n\n\n\t