St. Petersburg police official's daughter, Brittany Gordon, dies while serving in Afghanistan

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Officials have confirmed a 24-year-old soldier from St. Petersburg died in Afghanistan.

Spc. Brittany Gordon, the daughter of St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Cedric Gordon and Brenda Gordon, is believed to be the first woman soldier killed in battle from the Tampa Bay area, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties.

Gordon was serving in Operation Enduring Freedom when she died along with another soldier.

Gordon’s family was informed of the death by military personnel Saturday. Details surrounding the soldier’s death are limited, but family and friends remembered her life at the family home Sunday, recalling her smile and ambition.

Police Chief Chuck Harmon said,  "This loss is devastating. Our thoughts and prayers are with Chief Gordon and his family during this time of unimaginable grief.  

We know that the coming days will be extremely difficult and we will stand by ready to offer our support to Chief Gordon and his family in whatever manner possible.

I know that Chief Gordon was extremely proud of Brittany and all that she accomplished in her life.  Her life of service and especially service to her country stand as a testament to the type of person she was."

Gordon graduated from St. Petersburg High School in 2006 and attended the University of Florida for one year before she decided to pursue a career in the military.  

Her grandmother, Sarah Thompson, recalls that Brittany was so determined to join the military, that she took up a running regimen to drop the pounds and reach the required weight necessary to join the military.

She graduated from basic training in 2010 and spent a year in Seattle before going to Afghanistan.

The parents are headed to the Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware for the arrival of their daughter’s body.