Five Airman on base presented Bronze Medals for actions in Iraq

Five Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing were presented with the Bronze Star Medal and four Airmen received the Air Force Combat Action Medal at a ceremony on base Friday, Jan. 25, for their deployments in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

Maj. Matthew Boschert, SMSgt. David Ayers, MSgt. Michael Bernard, TSgt. Brandon Bayne, and SSgt. Andrew Adrian were honored with the Bronze Star Medal. TSgt. Daniel Blevins, SSgt. Jonathan Salisbury, SSgt. Michael Pray, and SSgt. Jason Kimberling were presented the Air Force Combat Action Medal.

The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration and is the fourth highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.

The Air Force Combat Action Medal was approved by the Secretary of the Air Force on March 15, 2007, to recognize any military member of the Air Force who actively participated in combat (air or ground). The principal eligibility criterion is that the individual must have been under direct and hostile fire while operating in unsecured space or physically engaging hostile forces with direct and lethal fire. The Air Force created the medal in recognition of its Airmen taking increasingly dangerous roles in Iraq, including ground combat.

Many Air Force personnel have been assigned "in lieu" duties, serving combat duties normally assigned to ground forces, which have been so stressed by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that they do not have adequate personnel to perform all of their normal missions. The most common "in lieu" assignments include, but are not limited to, dangerous convoy duties, security forces and explosive ordnance removal operations (disarming roadside bombs).