Our Mission
Technical Sergeant Dashan J. Briggs made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the 106th NYS Air National Guard (Westhampton Beach, New York) unit as a Special Missions Aviator.
While deployed on March 15, 2018 Dashan was one of seven men killed when the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter they were riding in crashed in western Iraq near the Syrian border.
The Dashan J. Briggs Memorial Foundation, Inc. was founded in 2021 by Dashan’s spouse, Rebecca Briggs and family to honor his legacy and keep his memory alive. The foundation raises funds for student scholarships and creating seminars and workshops that offer lessons in certain life skills that aren’t necessarily taught in a typical classroom, such as becoming certified in CPR, changing a tire, learning how credit cards work or cooking skills.
An annual scholarship is offered in the Riverhead Central School District where Tech. Sgt. Briggs graduated. With the success of the 2021 Run, the foundation was able to fund a second scholarship to the Comsewogue School District in June 2022 where Dashan’s children, Jayden and Ava attend, where one day they can hand out the scholarships to their community in memory of their dad.
Dashan loved to help people. The Dashan J. Briggs Foundation, Inc. will continue to serve today’s youth by supporting future generations and teaching them to succeed through perseverance, hard work, and dedication - all traits Dashan embodied.