Courtesy Photo | Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey pins an Army Commendation medal next to an...... read more read more
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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan—U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey awarded nine Task Force Falcon soldiers Air Medals with Valor devices, April 21.
“I’m honored to recognize these Soldiers today,” Dempsey said during the brief ceremony. “This is an aviation-centric battle; without our aviation assets, we wouldn’t be able to complete the mission.”
Staff Sgt. Brian Cammack of West Bend, Wis., a flight medic with Company C, Task Force Phoenix, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, earned the medal for his actions Sept. 18. Cammack and his team were performing a medical evacuation mission when they received the call to pick up a patient in Pech Valley, an area which required the medevac teams to use a hoist from the helicopter to retrieve patients. As the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter hovered over the patient’s location, Cammack began to hoist down when the crew started to take accurate small arms fire. The crew quickly brought Cammack back on board and the medevac team withdrew to allow another aircraft in to provide fire support.
The medevac team returned to FOB Fenty, and because of the damage to the aircraft, switched to another helicopter and resumed their mission.
Cammack was lowered from the hoist to the patient and was able to secure and bring him up to the Black Hawk. During the course of the night, Cammack retrieved, treated and transferred three more patients.
U.S. Army Sgt. Elena Romero of Vernon, N.J., a flight medic with Co. C, TF Phoenix, received the Air Medal with valor for her actions during an urgent medical evacuation mission in Konar Valley. She was wounded while the crew was trying to land the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to pick up injured Soldiers Nov. 7. Throughout the mission, the aircraft took small-arms fire. Despite the danger and the wounds she suffered, Romero pulled the injured Soldier on board the helicopter and managed to stabilize the Soldier to transport him to Jalabad Airfield, where the Soldier received life-saving medical care.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Richard Ernst of Islip, N.Y., also with Co. C, TF Phoenix, was one of the pilots on Romero’s aircraft. Despite being shot at, he performed a delicate hover, using a nearby tree to keep the helicopter oriented while the patient was pulled on board the Black Hawk. For his flying skills, he was awarded the Air Medal with valor.
Six soldiers from Co. B, TF Gambler, 10th CAB, also received Air Medals with valor: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Brooks Mouton, a native of Orange, Texas; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Allman of Georgetown, Texas; Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Myers, a native of Toledo, Ohio, Spc. Jeffrey Anderson of Salinas, Calif.; Spc. John Beer of New Orleans; and Sgt. Aaron Maldonado of Carolina, Puerto Rico.
These Gambler soldiers provided supplies and surveillance to Combat Outpost Margah, Oct. 30. The Black Hawk team brought more than 5,000 pounds of supplies to troops fighting on the ground while evacuating six wounded Soldiers. During the course of their mission, they were under fire and frequently had to land in dusty, low-visibility areas.
“Soldiers who earn a valor award have committed a selfless act by putting themselves in harm’s way to save someone else’s life,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. David McGurk, 10th CAB executive officer. “For these Soldiers, it was a once- in-a-lifetime opportunity to have the Chief of Staff pin these awards on their chest. It’s something they will always remember.”
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2011 20:10 |
| Story ID: | 69203 |
| Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
| Web Views: | 912 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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