Air Force chief of staff presents combat decorations, addresses 386th Airmen during visit

Published June 24, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Stefanie Torres
386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The Air Force's top military leader took time during a visit to the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing June 22 to present combat decorations to two of the unit's Airmen, both of whom were injured by the detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device while driving in a supply convoy in Iraq.

On stage before a packed theater filled with deployed Airmen, Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz pinned a Purple Heart and an Air Force Combat Action Medal on the chest of Senior Airman Brian Willard, a vehicle operator assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron here. General Schwartz also presented fellow vehicle operator Senior Airman Trent Cichy with an Air Force Combat Action Medal.

The two Airmen were met with a standing ovation as they turned to face the audience -- and for good reason, as General Schwartz explained.

"We stand and cheer for them because they demonstrated commitment to their mission," he said, even under the most difficult of circumstances. "It's about keeping promises, and they kept their promise."

Senior Airmen Willard and Cichy were on a routine night-time supply mission in Baghdad on May 27, 2010, when they realized something was out of the ordinary. A new checkpoint had been erected, and road barriers were placed to funnel the convoy team from a three-lane passage into a single lane of traffic. To make matters worse, a sandstorm had swept through the area the day before.

Sandstorms inhibit visibility, Airman Willard explained, and provide cover to the enemy to place IEDs while going undetected.

"We had taken the route several times before, and these changes were very noticeable," Airman Willard said. "Looking back, I can see (the enemy) knew exactly where we were going."

Airman Willard doesn't remember the explosion, but he vividly recalls smoke filling the vehicle. His next thought was about the rest of the team.

"At first, I thought, 'I'm alive,' " he said. "How is everyone else? We all checked on each other, and our adrenaline was through the roof. The training we get really kicked in."

He credited the Basic Combat Convoy Course he attended in San Antonio, Texas, with teaching his team how to react when responding to an IED attack.

The blast knocked out the truck's communications gear but they were able to signal other vehicles. Within minutes, the team received help from other members of their convoy.

"No one saw where the blast came from," Airman Willard said. "But we all came together and got to where we needed to go."

Airman Willard received shrapnel wounds to the leg in the attack, and Airman Cichy suffered second-degree burns to his leg.

General Schwartz, accompanied by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy, concluded the June 22 award ceremony by noting how teamwork played a vital role in the outcome.

"Everybody matters," he said. "We are a family. If everyone doesn't play their position, the team doesn't succeed."

He continued this theme during a wide-ranging commander's call that followed the ceremony, discussing the importance of everyone's role in today's fight.

That's especially true for the Airmen of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, who have been providing essential support for the responsible draw-down of U.S forces in Iraq for quite some time, General Schwartz said.

"In the past year, Airmen here have been involved in moving 600,000 pounds of cargo and 50,000 vehicles within the Area of Responsibility," he told the audience. "The footprint in Iraq has been reduced to half, and Airmen have still managed to move personnel, do our jobs, deliver mail, make sure meals were available and ensure the mission is being done, which has been noticed.

"We are grateful and are proud of what you do," General Schwartz said.

General Schwartz also talked about Joint Expeditionary Taskings, in which Airmen are assigned to deploy with other services to perform a variety of functions traditionally not associated with Air Force personnel. He said Airmen will continue to fill these JET assignments because they are necessary to ensure mission success, and because Airmen have proven their value to the fight.

"We often hear that the other services want our Airmen because we know how to get things done," he said. "We bring excellence and commitment."

Despite the high operations tempo, the Air Force is experiencing its best retention rate in 20 years, General Schwartz noted. That means the service is overstaffed by about 4,000 Airmen. Officers are being encouraged to move to other career fields, he said, and select officers and enlisted members are being encouraged to take incentives to leave the service altogether.

General Schwartz concluded his commander's call by pledging his support for all Airmen.

"This is about keeping promises," he said. "We are keeping our promise to you to represent you. Let's continue to be proud of what we do, and be proud of our team."