Photo By Tech. Sgt. Christine Groening | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cody Allen, 321st Special Tactics Squadron combat...... read more read more
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RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Four 321st Special Tactics Squadron Air Commandos were presented medals at a ceremony March 1, 2016, by Maj. Gen. Gregory Lengyel, Commander of Special Operations Command Europe, on RAF Mildenhall.
Staff Sgt. Ryan Holmes, 321st STS combat controller, received a Bronze Star for meritorious service during combat operations in Afghanistan; Staff Sgt. James Neely, 321st STS combat controller, received a Bronze Star for meritorious service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and Capt. Andrew Owens, 321st STS special tactics officer, received a Bronze Star for meritorious service during combat operations in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Cody Allen, received a Purple Heart for wounds received in action in Afghanistan.
"Our folks regularly put themselves in harm's way in the name of their country and ask nothing in return," said Col. Nathan Green, 752nd Special Operations Group commander. "Spending the time to see them recognized is something I consider an honor. Knowing what these Airmen have been through and what they have achieved, I can truly say I am proud to serve next to them."
On Oct. 11, 2015, Allen was almost three months into his third deployment since being stationed at RAF Mildenhall and being in the Air Force.
“There was a unit that was taking fire in Afghanistan and we were assigned to go relieve them and help them out, but on the way there my truck – which was the last in a convoy – got hit by an improvised explosive device that was triggered then followed on by an ambush,” recalled Allen, a 321st STS combat controller, describing the scene in Afghanistan.. “We suddenly heard a whistle, and that was the initiation of the IED. There was a tree-line to our left; as soon as we heard the whistle, the IED went off and it was just a dust cloud.
“I was in the back of the truck with my friend, who was a medic, and we got thrown up out of the vehicle and landed back down. I busted up my foot pretty bad – I had two metatarsals that were fractured and a Lisfranc injury (a dislocation of the midfoot) – and my friend had a concussion,” he said, adding there were five of them in the truck and the first thing he instinctively did was to check everyone over and make sure they were all OK.
Allen explained how the driver of his team got blown out of the truck and landed in the hole where the IED had blown up.
“When we got thrown up in the air, that’s when my training kicked in. At first you’re kind of in shock, as you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, we just hit an IED!’ and you don’t know whether you’re severely injured or not. Once I found out I was good and I could still function, then I looked at my buddy to make sure he was OK as well. That’s when we started to return fire.”
His friend started handing him ammunition, and between them they then got a machine gun up and running. Under small arms fire near the tree line, they returned fire as the other trucks in their convoy backed up to support them with heavy weapons, pushing the enemy back. They also called in air support in the form of helicopters.
All this time his foot was injured and bleeding but he had to continue to walk on it to get the job done.
The U.S. troops continued advancing, pushing back the insurgents until they were no longer a threat. At that point, Allen and the rest of his team and convoy secured a place to consolidate and check the wounded. They then set up a landing zone so a helicopter could land and medevac his teammate who had suffered from concussion. They then pieced the truck back together before heading back to their base.
It took roughly six hours from when the explosion hit to when they arrived back to base.
Once back, Allen’s injury was determined to be severe enough for him to be then medevac’d out of the country and back to England, where he underwent foot surgery.
His journey back was an emotional one.
"I wanted to stay; I didn't want to leave," the combat controller recalled. "I wanted to stay there with my friends and continue to finish off my deployment, but I knew that I wasn't going to be capable of operating at 100 percent for what they needed."
Once his foot surgery was finally complete, Allen then had to take time to convalesce from the surgery. It gave him the chance to spend some time taking a well-earned rest back home in the states with his family.
Thankfully, all those in his convoy that day made it back safely.
Despite his injuries, Allen said he can't wait to get back out on another deployment and do the job he loves.
"The sooner the better," he said.
"I think we all accept the risks, we all know what we signed up for and I think every one of these guys would have done the same thing that I did," added Allen matter-of-factly. "The main part for me is that I like to know I'm going downrange helping not only the mission, but helping my friends on the teams I'm attached to. Helping them make it back safe to their families, that's what keeps me wanting to do this."
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2016 06:54 |
| Story ID: | 191264 |
| Location: | RAF MILDENHALL, ENG, GB |
| Web Views: | 739 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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