Irwin Marine killed in Afghanistan was 'driven,' 'a perfectionist'

A former Irwin resident who commanded the Marine Attack Squadron 211 was killed on Friday in an attack in Afghanistan.

Lt. Col. Christopher “Otis” Raible, 40, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, was one of two coalition service members killed when insurgents attacked the airfield at Camp Bastion in Kandahar province, according to family members. The Department of Defense has not yet confirmed the names of the casualties.

“My son was the best of the best, and this was a tragedy,” said his mother, Belvina Raible of Irwin.

According to the Department of Defense and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, about 15 insurgents dressed in Army uniforms and armed with rifles, grenade launchers and suicide vests breached part of the perimeter at Camp Bastion, then attacked aircraft parked on the base, along with hangars and other buildings. Six Harrier jets were destroyed, along with three refueling stations.

Another Marine was killed, and nine other coalition personnel were wounded. Fourteen of the attackers were killed, and the last was wounded and captured, officials said.

Raible graduated from Norwin High School, then attended Kent State University before transferring to Carnegie Mellon, where he graduated in 1995 with a degree in civil engineering.

Little could dissuade him from becoming a Marine pilot, his mother said.

“He had job offers when he graduated, but he came home and said he wanted to join the Marines,” she said.

“He knew he wanted to fly, and he just thought the Marines were the best of the best.

“He was driven. He was a perfectionist.”

According to his military biography posted by Marine Attack Squadron 211, Raible was commissioned a second lieutenant after graduating from CMU. After completing basic training, he attended flight training in Pensacola, Fla.; Meridian, Miss.; and Kingsville, Texas.

In Pensacola, Raible met his future wife, Donella, who was a teacher at the time, Belvina Raible said. Donella Raible lives in Yuma, Ariz., with their two daughters, 9 and 11, and their son, 2.

The biography said Raible had been deployed to Iraq several times, both aboard the USS Bataan and at Al Asad Air Base, along with shorter deployments to Iraq and Japan. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in July 2011 and had flown more than 2,000 hours in the Marine's AV-8B Harrier jets.

Belvina Raible said her son was about a month short of eligibility for retirement when he was killed. Memorial arrangements are pending, but Raible told his family he wanted to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial service may be held at Norwin High School, his mother said.

Matthew Santoni is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Contact him at 412-380-5625 or msantoni@tribweb.com.