Background
Hampton was born on August 18, 1976, in Greenville, South Carolina, the only child of Dale and Ann Hampton.
Hampton was born on August 18, 1976, in Greenville, South Carolina, the only child of Dale and Ann Hampton.
Growing up in Easley, South Carolina, she graduated from Easley High School, where she had served as the student body president, Colorado of the NJROTC unit, and captain of the tennis team
She was also the first woman from South Carolina to die in the Iraq War. Hampton began her college career playing tennis for Furman University. Hampton led the school team, the Blue Hose, to three consecutive South Atlantic Conference women's tennis tournament titles.
She was undefeated in three years of conference singles play.
Military career Hampton joined the United States Army Reserve Officers" Training Corps (Reserve Officers Training Corps) while in college. As a senior, she became only the second woman to serve as the school’s Reserve Officers Training Corps battalion commander.
Upon graduation, she attended flight training and Aviation Officer Basic Course at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where she completed the training with honors. She served two years in South of Korea, and also in Afghanistan as part of the United States forces in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Hampton was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina before becoming the commander of Delta Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment prior to the unit"s deployment to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in September 2003.
Death and burial Hampton died when the Ohio-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter she was flying was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq on January 2, 2004. Captain Hampton was the first female military pilot in United States history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire. She was also the first female combat casualty in Iraq from South Carolina.
Captain Hampton"s resting place is located in the cemetery section just east of the bell tower at Robinson Memorial Gardens on Powdersville Road near her hometown of Easley, South Carolina.