RENO, Nev. - – Although he was transporting military personnel and cargo across Afghanistan when an insurgent’s AK-47 round shattered his femur and pelvis in April 2013, helicopter pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Roger Capps was ineligible for a Purple Heart that day because he was working as a civilian.
Even though the 1/189th Aviation pilot won’t receive a military medal for the injuries he suffered then while working for Columbia Helicopters, he is now set to receive an extremely rare award for a Nevadan: The Defense of Freedom medal. The medal is awarded by the Secretary of Defense to acknowledge civilian employees killed or wounded while supporting the Department of Defense.
Hundreds of Defense of Freedom medals have been awarded nationwide since its inception after the events of 9/11, but only one Nevadan has received the decoration, said state archivist Jeff Kintop. Romeo Sebastian of Las Vegas received the award in 2005 after he was wounded in Iraq while working as food service specialist for KBR, Inc.
Columbia Helicopter spokesman Dan Sweet said the Oregon-based aviation company submitted the documentation for Capps’ Defense of Freedom medal in January 2014. No employee of Columbia Helicopters, the nation’s only civilian operator of the commercial models of CH-47 Chinook and CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters, has ever received a Defense of Freedom medal.
“It’s just a matter of time,” Sweet said. “I don’t believe there’s any reason to believe he won’t receive the medal.”
Capps, who was a traditional lieutenant colonel in 2013, said he was unaware of the decoration until recently and added he won’t hold his breath waiting for the Secretary of the Army to forward his medal.
“I had no idea that type of medal even existed,” said Capps. “Hopefully, I’ll still be in the Army Guard by the time it arrives.”
Regardless the time it takes to receive the award, it’s unlikely the even-keeled Capps will get too upset. Even when discussing the injuries that caused him to endure four operations and left him with a permanent limp, Capps remains unperturbed by his apparent bad luck and does not dwell on the fact that the round that struck him was a 1-in-a 1,000 shot that found a rare opening in his helicopter’s bullet-proof flooring.
“In reality, I was very lucky. If you’re going to get shot, do it my way,” Capps said. “The bullet missed my femoral artery, I received immediate first aid in the back of the helicopter and was only 15 minutes away from the Army trauma center in Ghazni. In fact, it was our original destination. The doctors were ready and knew the extent of my injuries even before I arrived.”
The incident probably lengthened Capps’ career in the Nevada Guard. While recuperating, Capps reevaluated his military career path and decided to emphasize his piloting skills. Capps resigned his commission and transferred to the warrant officer corps in May. Despite his impeded gait, he is now a fully-deployable Soldier who can likely continue to pilot Chinook helicopters for the Army Guard for 14 more years. No one questions his Soldiering skills; he just earned a Governors Twenty tab in August for his marksmanship ability.
“Absolutely, it has worked out great to receive the opportunity to transition from a commissioned officer to a warrant officer,” said Capps, a Sparks native who lives near the Army Aviation Support Facility in north Reno. “Now, I’m still viable and can contribute to the state and Army Guard.
“I move a little slower these days and running is out of the question. But I can still do my job, fly and remain a part of the organization.”
State Army Aviation Officer Maj. Matt Jonkey said the Nevada Army Guard is lucky to have Capps in its ranks, regardless his rank.
“Roger has a skill set that extends far beyond his flying abilities,” Jonkey said. “The fact he is willing to be a warrant officer after attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel displays his devotion to the organization.”
Capps’ harrowing incident in Afghanistan in 2013 was not his first in the beleaguered country. His tumultuous relationship with insurgents in Afghanistan dates back more than a decade. In 2005, he was the commander of D Company, 113th Aviation (the precursor of the 1/189th), when one of its Chinook helicopters with the call sign “Mustang 22” was shot down in southwestern Afghanistan. Five Soldiers were killed, including Nevada Guardsmen Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Flynn, 36, and Sgt. Patrick Stewart, 35.
“It’s something I’ll never forget about,” said Capps, who earned his commission through the University of Nevada, Reno’s, ROTC program. “There’s not anything I can do about it, but I’ll never forget about it and the five friends I had on Mustang 22.
“You have to take those type of experiences and then work with the knowledge gained from the experiences to ensure it doesn’t ever happen again. The enemy certainly affects a lot of what you can and can’t control, though.”
Capps harbors no ill will toward Columbia Helicopters, his civilian employer since 2011. He said Columbia took good care of him while he recuperated.
“It was a really good job and the flying over there was great,” said Capps, who returned to light duty for Columbia within 18 months of being shot and recently piloted aircraft in Morocco for the company. “But everyone realizes there’s an inherent risk when you’re a pilot in Afghanistan.
“Getting shot in Afghanistan is something everyone thinks is going to happen to someone else. Then you are quickly reminded ‘Yes, it can happen to you, too.’”
With his career in the warrant officer corps just beginning, Capps said he’s looking forward to many more years in the Nevada Guard. For him, National Guard service has become a familiar lifestyle.
“Why would I want to leave the Guard? All of my buddies are in the Guard, it has a lot of cool toys that fly and plenty of ammunition,” Capps said.
If the 1/189th is called back into duty in southwest Asia in the future, Capps said he’s ready and willing to go. But don’t be surprised if he displays some trepidation as he boards the outbound flight.
“Truthfully, I’ve had enough of Afghanistan,” Capps admitted.
| Date Taken: | 09.11.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2015 11:22 |
| Story ID: | 175749 |
| Location: | RENO, NV, US |
| Hometown: | RENO, NV, US |
| Web Views: | 175 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Nevada Guard helicopter pilot set to receive post-9/11 civilian defense medal, by SFC Erick Studenicka, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT