Photo By Staff Sgt. Christopher Muncy | Three New York Air National Guard airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing Security Forces...... read more read more
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WESTHAMPTON BEACH, N.Y. - Three Air National Guard Airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing Security Forces Squadron received the Purple Heart Medal during a ceremony at the American Legion Post 1545 in Eastport.
Master Sgt. Christian M. Cote, Tech. Sgt. Eric V. Auletta and Staff Sgt. Brian Hammel were awarded the medal in recognition of injuries sustained during operations in Afghanistan in 2011.
"We were on a routine mission outside the wire going to [the forward operating base]," said Cote, who was a team leader.
"We went out there, and on the way back we passed one of the local villages where we saw several military-age males on the side, which was odd because it was Ramadan. The next thing we knew, the IED went off,” Core said.
The explosion wrecked the vehicle and knocked the occupants momentarily unconscious.
"The details of it are intermittent," Cote recalled.
"I don't remember it going off; I just remember the cabin filling with smoke and dust. It took a second for everything to come back together. I remember looking around the vehicle, trying to see if everyone was OK. Then the gunner started firing the 50.-cal,” Cote said.
Auletta, who was the truck commander and one of the first of the injured to come to, immediately began to respond to the attack.
"When we came to, I couldn't see anything through the smoke. But when this happens, you go through your checklist; make sure the others are OK, check the status of the vehicle and radio in that we had been hit,” he said.
At that point, I didn't know what hit us, just that we had been hit, Auletta added.
The vehicle was completely disabled. The other vehicles in the convoy backed up, with the third providing rear security. Even as the enemy continued firing, Cote, Hammel and Auletta began emergency towing procedures. After a few minutes, the vehicle was roped up and the crew was towed to safety.
"It's a unique warrior that assures his family that everything is fine, then goes outside the wire, gets blown up, crawls back to base, and then does it all over again the next day," said Maj. Ronnie Maloney, 106th Security Forces Squadron commander.
"And it takes a very special family to trust, support and endure it from home,” Maloney said.
Hammel said that he was "humbled and honored," to receive the award.
"It was fortunate that we didn't lose anybody that day," Auletta agreed.
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2015 09:13 |
| Story ID: | 167746 |
| Location: | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 432 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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