Airman Killed in Juarez Despite Military Ban on Travel

EL PASO--- It's the rule at Fort Bliss and at Holloman Air Force Base; enlisted men and women are not allowed to cross in to Juarez or any other border city.

Now it seems unlikely that ban will be lifted any time soon, after an U.S. airman was killed this week in Juarez.

Staff Sgt. David Booher, 26, was shot and killed early Wednesday morning at the Amadeus strip club across the border.

An EMT in the Air Force, Booher had family in Juarez and was reportedly trying to help other victims at the scene.
For Fort Bliss Sgt. Rachael Estes, it's horrible news.

"It's just tragic that he was just doing what his military training told him to do and he just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time," Estes said.

Yet with a military ban on travel across the border, Estes still questions why Booher was there in the first place.

"I would think that as a service member we don't try to put ourselves into dangerous situations unless it's absolutely necessary," she said.

For the past two years, Bliss soldiers have not been allowed to cross in to border cities without permission.

If they do, there are consequences; including reducing a soldier's rank, fines or extra duties.

But for Estes, there's a far worse consequence to think about.

"No commander or no commissioned officer wants to have to tell a family member 'I'm sorry, your son or daughter died, not in combat, but because they decided to break the rules and go down'," she said.

NewsChannel 9 asked a Holloman AFB spokesman if Booher had permission to be in Juarez, since he did have family there.
The spokesman would only say members are prohibited from going to Juarez, and could not comment on this specific case.