Memorial Service held for Joshua Schoenhoff

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) -United States Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Schoenhoff was honored by family, friends, and Robins Air Force Base.

His memorial service was held Saturday at Shirley Hills Baptist Church.

Military personnel were greeted by the Robins Air Force Base Color Guard as they streamed inside to say farewell.  Schoenoff, who was killed last week during a typhoon in Okinawa, Japan.

He was an instrument and flight control systems specialist with the 461st control wing and operated Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System known as “J-STARS.”

“He loved to be around people, he took care of his people when he was at work he took care of his guys,” says Chad McLaughlin, who says he’s known Sgt. Schoenoff for more than a year. “There’s nothing really anybody could say bad about him. He was a great guy, an outstanding guy.”

Mclaughlin says he and Schoenhoff were making plans to ride motorcycles together before Schoenhoff’s deployment to Japan.

Mclaughlin is a member of the 116th squadron of J-STARS. He says he worked alongside Schoenhoff.

“I saw his face almost everyday,” he added. “Now that I don’t see his face everyday it’s heart breaking, it is.”

Schoenhoff is survived by his wife Jessica and their two children.

Two other Robins airmen, Senior Master Sgt. James Swartz and Master Sgt. Daniel Paschal, perished with Schoenhoff.