Friends and family pay tribute to fallen Naval officer
BREMERTON, Wash. -- A career Naval officer who died earlier this week was remembered Friday for putting the safety of others before her own.
Lt. Cmdr. Regina Mills, who friends called Reggie, died Monday in an icy crash on Highway 16 near Gig Harbor.
Mills stopped to help out at the scene of several spin-outs when another vehicle slid into the wreckage, hitting Mills and trooper Max Criss as they stood on the side of the road.
A ceremony for Mills was held Friday on the hanger deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
Criss attended the ceremony to honor Mills' memory and comfort her family. He also spoke for the first time about the tragic events that unfolded on Monday.
"Just a lot of things happening at once. The last I remember was just loud noises and then it all happened," Criss said. "It was a crappy situation under crappy circumstances. We were trying to help people when it happened."
Mills' daughter, Cherie Ayer, also spoke about her mother's character.
"I know what she did was the right thing," she said. "I'm sad that it happened, but she was trying to help someone else out. She would have done that for anyone."
No one in the Navy is surprised about what Mills did. She made a career of keeping others safe. As the first female to become an aircraft handling officer, Mills was in charge of all aircraft ground operations.
It was just two years ago that Mills met her husband, Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Mills. They only recently got married, and now he's forced to deal with her tragic death.
"I miss you baby, but I know that I will see you again some day. I love you baby. Rest in peace," Jeff Mills said.
Lt. Cmdr. Regina Mills, who friends called Reggie, died Monday in an icy crash on Highway 16 near Gig Harbor.
Mills stopped to help out at the scene of several spin-outs when another vehicle slid into the wreckage, hitting Mills and trooper Max Criss as they stood on the side of the road.
A ceremony for Mills was held Friday on the hanger deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
Criss attended the ceremony to honor Mills' memory and comfort her family. He also spoke for the first time about the tragic events that unfolded on Monday.
"Just a lot of things happening at once. The last I remember was just loud noises and then it all happened," Criss said. "It was a crappy situation under crappy circumstances. We were trying to help people when it happened."
Mills' daughter, Cherie Ayer, also spoke about her mother's character.
"I know what she did was the right thing," she said. "I'm sad that it happened, but she was trying to help someone else out. She would have done that for anyone."
No one in the Navy is surprised about what Mills did. She made a career of keeping others safe. As the first female to become an aircraft handling officer, Mills was in charge of all aircraft ground operations.
It was just two years ago that Mills met her husband, Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Mills. They only recently got married, and now he's forced to deal with her tragic death.
"I miss you baby, but I know that I will see you again some day. I love you baby. Rest in peace," Jeff Mills said.
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