Courtesy Photo | Col. Lawrence Jackson, 732nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group commander, pins the...... read more read more
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By Spc. Abel Trevino
28th Public Affairs Detachment
BAGHDAD - Airmen and a Civilian from the 732nd Expeditionary Mission Civil Engineering Squadron were recognized for wounds received during explosive ordnance operations here Monday.
Special Agent Cameron Allen Siegfried, Weapons and Intelligence Team assistant leader, and Master Sgt. Jeff Sursley, Weapons and Intelligence Team leader were presented with a purple heart for injuries received during separate improvised explosive device detonations. Special Agent Kris Akira Miyasato, Weapons and Intelligence Team assistant leader, a Department of the Air Force employee, was awarded the Defense of Freedom Medal for injuries received in the same incident that injured Sursley.
Siegfried's injuries occurred Aug. 21, 2006. During that incident, Master Sgt. Brad A Clemmons was killed.
"We were driving down [the road to Taji] and an IED went off," Siegfried said, recollecting the day. "Our team leader - he was sitting in the rear - was killed."
Siegfried was hit in the back of the head by shrapnel, but declined medical attention during the incident and had it surgically removed later.
"I wasn't (medically evacuated) at that time because I didn't know what the injury was," he said. "We were trying to give first aid to (Clemmons)."
While Siegfried recognizes the symbolism of the purple heart, he said he carries a great weight with his.
"The actual award, it means a lot to me because it is military history. I'm honored to have it," he said. "I think it might mean a little bit more to me if (Master) Sgt. Clemmons was still here. It's just more of a memory of that, I guess. I don't know if I really want that memory. It's tough, but it's just a constant reminder of the incident."
On a convoy Oct. 8, 2006, an IED detonated and injured both Miyasato and Sursley.
"We were on a counter-IED mission south of Kirkuk," Miyasato said. "We encountered an IED along the way. Luckily, that resulted in no injuries, it was a post-blast."
After the first IED missed their convoy, they carried on.
"We were on a convoy to locate an insurgent cell that was planting devices along the road," Sursley said. "While in the area the subject operated in, we hit a pressure switch in the center of the road."
The bomb detonated directly beside their vehicle. Sursley was hit with shrapnel in his left knee, Miyasato had shrapnel in his right leg and burns on his arms. Both were medevaced to Forward Operating Base McHenry for triage and initial treatment before being flown to FOB Warrior.
"I was going through physical therapy and the physical therapy guys did all the wound care for me," Miyasato said. "For me, [the therapy] wasn't too bad. I was on crutches for a little while and they gave me this little boot to walk on. Pretty much, after that, it's been making sure I stretch all of my joints and get all the muscles back to working."
Sursley has not yet had surgery on his knee. He turned it down so he could stay and complete the mission.
"I think the mission is extremely important," he said. "This mission provides us with the ability to get a closer look at individual bomb placers and their methods and techniques and provide real-time, up-to-date changes in tactics to the ground fighters."
| Date Taken: | 02.06.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2007 06:34 |
| Story ID: | 9056 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 506 |
| Downloads: | 397 |
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