Angel Sarah Rampersad 'was a good soldier,' who fought and died for this country, family says

A Queens family is mourning the death of their Army soldier daughter killed last week in an Iranian attack on an air base in Jordan.

Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad, 28, was remembered by family members for her determination, her calm presence under pressure and her dedication to the military.

Friends and neighbors left flowers at the family’s Ozone Park corner home, where officials and news cameras descended outside on Thursday.

Rampersad’s mother sobbed as the family told stories about her fallen daughter’s life.

"She was a good soldier," her mother, Carol Acevedo, said through tears. "She fought for this country and she died for this country, and I am a mother that is highly proud of her. I know she was really, really focused on what she was doing. She loved it."

Rampersad was killed July 17 during an attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. She was assigned to 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air & Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany. She was deployed to Jordan with her wife, who is also serving in the Army, family members said.

Rampersad immigrated from Trinidad to New York when she was 2 ½ with her mother and older sister. Her mother struggled to raise her daughters in New York City with little support, her aunt Judy Rackal said.

Rampersad, whom family members called Sarah, went to school in Queens, graduating from Forest Hills High School, where she bowled and played competitive softball. She went to Queensborough Community College for two years before she transferred to John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

"Angel was always a happy, content and calm person all through her life in the face of every crisis that her family encountered. She would be the calming element all the time," Rackal said. "She had a quiet strength even as a child. She learned strength, courage and determination by observing her mom."

Rampersad wanted to join the military when she was 18 but wouldn't join without her mother’s permission, Rackal said. A few days after her 21st birthday, she signed up for the Army with a recruiter and told her mother after she joined, Rackal said.

Rampersad was stationed for three years in Hawaii and three years in Germany before she reenlisted.

During her free time, she would often spend time at the beach or visit Trinidad, where her father lives.

Funeral services are pending. Rampersad’s remains were returned on Wednesday to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. She was initially listed as "Duty Status — Whereabouts Unknown" and presumed dead.

Rampersad was returned to the United States along with 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas, who also were killed in Friday’s attack.

Community members with the Ozone Park Residents Block Association and the family are planning a vigil at the family’s home on Monday.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. said the community would seek to rename Rampersad’s street and possibly a New York City school in her honor.

"We want to thank everyone for the outpouring, for the amazing outpouring of love and support during this unbearable tragedy," Rackal said on behalf of the family. "We are so proud of our Angel. We are awaiting the release of our daughter to make final arrangements."