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Brooks Airman recognized with new AF Combat Action Medal

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Tania Bryan
  • 311th Human Systems Wing Public Affairs
BROOKS CITY-BASE, Texas --  A Brooks aeromedical evacuation instructor was among the first to receive the new Air Force Combat Action Medal in a ceremony presided over by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley at the Air Force Memorial June 13.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Paxton, currently assigned to the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, received the award for his actions while deployed with the 485th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron to Iraq during March 2003.

The medal was created to recognize Air Force members who were engaged in air or ground combat off-base, in a combat zone. This includes members who were under direct and hostile fire, or who personally engaged hostile forces with direct and lethal fire.

"Sergeant Paxton is very deserving of this award. Of the six recognized in the ceremony, he was the only medic. The others were trained to be combatants, he was trained to save lives," said 311th Human Systems Wing Director Mr. Eric Stephens.

While deployed to the Kuwaiti desert in 2003, Sergeant Paxton's unit was called upon to augment the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force as they made their trek into Iraq during the first days of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In fact, according to Sergeant Paxton, "we were the first Air Force unit, outside of Special Operations, to go into Iraq."

With no air resources projected, there was a plan to embed a Mobile Aeromedical Staging Facility into a Marine supply convoy to set-up a series of tactical aeromedical evacuation units at predetermined locations along the way from the boarder of Kuwait to near Baghdad, Iraq.

As the convoy approached Ash Shatra, Iraq on March 28, 2003, they became a target of heavy enemy fire. Mortars, rocket propelled grenades, machine gun and small arms fire bombarded Sergeant Paxton and his comrades. The team, with no intra-vehicle communications, reacted to the ambush and returned fire, successfully defending their assets.

Throughout the next 18 hours, the convoy came under fire, five subsequent times, each time successfully engaging the enemy with return fire, defending themselves as they progressed on with their mission.

Sergeant Paxton also assisted in the care of over 110 critically wounded coalition forces and the launching of nine aeromedical evacuation missions.

"I don't feel like a hero I was just doing my job, but I am proud to receive this award," the sergeant said. "I think it is great that the Air Force is now recognizing combat actions."