A sailor based in Bahrain was killed on April 5 when he was struck by a vehicle as he crossed the street with a group of friends.
Engineman 2nd Class Austin Thomas Williams, 22, had only been assigned to the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship Sentry, homeported in Manama, Bahrain, for three weeks at the time of the accident.
Williams’ body returned to his hometown of Freeport, Maine, today, accompanied by a police escort, WMTW News 8 reported. He will be buried on April 21.
EN2 Williams joined the Navy in July 2014. Prior to his March arrival in Bahrain, Williams served with Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Following his first tour, Williams earned his warfare qualification, and he had recently reenlisted for another six years, his obituary said.
“His impact was immediate and his sense of duty and pride immense!” a family statement read. “Austin absolutely loved being a Sailor and part of the United States Navy team.”
A GoFundMe was started by Williams’ family to establish a scholarship in his name.
J.D. Simkins is the executive editor of Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
