Queens Soldier Killed in Jordan Attack Remembered as 'Social Butterfly'

Sgt. Angel Rampersad, a 28-year-old from Ozone Park, Queens, who was described by loved ones as a “social butterfly” with a smile that could “light up any room,” was killed Friday during an Iranian attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. She was one of three U.S. service members reported killed in the incident.

Rampersad, who hailed from a military family, had aspirations of traveling the world while serving her country. Her uncle served in the Army and her brother-in-law in the Marines, and she had long wanted to follow in their footsteps, according to a neighbor and family friend, Deacon Carlos Garcia.

“She died for her country doing what she loved,” Garcia said. He also noted that Rampersad was a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice and played the drums.

Retired sergeant Logan Thomson, who served with Rampersad for three years at a base in Hawaii, recalled her charismatic and adventurous spirit. "Everything about her — her smile, the way she carried herself — she could bring light to any room," Thomson said. "She was just a social butterfly, able to make friends anywhere and everywhere she met."

Thomson added that Rampersad saw the Army as a way to fulfill her desire to travel globally. "One of her big things was she wanted to see the world. The Army was one of her ways of doing it," he said.

Rampersad's family remembered her as a brave defender of those who couldn't defend themselves. "Our beloved Sergeant Angel Sarah Rampasad was a gentle giant," the family said in a statement. "She stood up for those who couldn’t fight for themselves, a defender and a friend. She loved her family fiercely and will live on in the hearts of everyone she touched."

Army First Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, and Pfc. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, were also identified as service members killed in the attack. Another U.S. service member, Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of North Carolina, was reportedly killed Sunday while disarming a downed Iranian drone in Iraq.

Rampersad was assigned to the Germany-based 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. Her remains are scheduled to be returned to the U.S. from Germany via a dignified transfer, Garcia said.