New York leaders mourn Trinidad-born soldier Sgt. Angel Rampersad, killed in Jordan
The 28-year-old Ozone Park resident is believed to have been killed in an enemy attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on July 17, the Pentagon said.
NEW YORK, United States. Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined local legislators on Tuesday, July 22, in paying tribute to Trinidadian-American Queens service member Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, who was killed in an Iranian missile strike.
Rampersad was born in Trinidad and moved with her family to New York in early childhood. She was 28.
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that she "is believed to have been killed in action on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan". It said the incident was under investigation and that she had previously been listed as missing.
She was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, based in Ansbach, Germany.
Tributes
"Today, New York mourns the loss of one of our own," Hochul said. "Sgt. Rampersad lived a life of courage and selflessness."
Mamdani said her courage and sacrifice would be remembered "not just in Queens, but across all five boroughs". "For so many New Yorkers, wars overseas are never distant, they are felt here at home," he said.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Joann Ariola said in a joint statement that the city mourned "the presumed loss" of the Ozone Park resident. "As this conflict continues in the Middle East, we pray that all our service members remain safe and return home to their families," they said.
'An American hero'
Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar, whose 38th Assembly District includes Ozone Park, described Rampersad as an "American hero".
"She served far from home, stood in harm's way, and carried out her duty with honour," Rajkumar said. "Her service and sacrifice will never be forgotten by Ozone Park, Queens, New York City, or a grateful nation."
Rajkumar, a member of the Assembly's Committee on Veterans' Affairs, said she stood with Rampersad's family, "especially her parents, Basdeo and Carol".
