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US Air Force Captain Michael Leo Chinburg was born on January 23, 1964, in Iowa City, Iowa, and spent his early years in Durham, New Hampshire. He graduated from Oyster River High School in 1982, where he was a dedicated student-athlete, participating in soccer, hockey, and rowing. Known for his love of the outdoors and hunting, he later attended the University of Colorado, earning his degree in 1986.

In March 1987, Chinburg commissioned into the U.S. Air Force and began his career at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. After earning his pilot wings, he was assigned to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, where he flew the F-16 Fighting Falcon. His commanding officer described him as “one of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing’s finest pilots,” a reflection of his skill and professionalism.

Captain Chinburg deployed to Saudi Arabia with his unit in December 1990 in support of Operation Desert Shield and the buildup to Operation Desert Storm. On January 8, 1991, during a nighttime training exercise in northeastern Saudi Arabia, he was killed in an F-16C crash. He was the only member of the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing lost during the campaign, and one of five service members from New Hampshire to die during the Gulf War.

Captain Chinburg married April May Sloane in 1990 in Florida. He was originally buried at Durham Cemetery in Durham, New Hampshire. Although later court records reference plans for reinterment at Arlington National Cemetery, public listings do not confirm whether that transfer occurred.

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