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KAFB officer to receive Bronze Star Medal

  • Published
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Kirtland Air Force Base --  An officer assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base will receive the Bronze Star Medal in a ceremony on base Monday.

Lt. Col. Christopher A. Boone, commander of the 377th Logistics Readiness Squadron, will be recognized for his accomplishments during a recent deployment to Kuwait in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn.

The ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the 377th Air Base Wing Presentation Center. Col. David Hornyak, 377th Air Base Wing vice commander, will be the presiding official and presenter.

The colonel's award citation highlights his achievements. Boone distinguished himself by meritorious achievement as commander, 387t h Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron, 387th Air Expeditionary Group, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait , while engaged in ground operations against an enemy of the United States, from Feb. 25, 2011 to Sept. 1, 2011.

During this period, he led the Air Force's sole combat line haul unit, comprised of 322 Airmen from 10 Air Force specialties and 53 different installations, in the successful completion of 116 convoy missions into Iraq. His Joint Expeditionary Tasked Airmen escorted 4,200 vehicles more than 4.7 million miles to deliver 177,000 tons of critical cargo to and from 13 contingency operating bases in support of Operation New Dawn.

Under his tenacious leadership, the squadron delivered a 100 percent success rate despite 370 enemy attacks from improvised explosive devices, small arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades and explosively formed projectiles along their routes. Boone's team maintained a 96 percent vehicle readiness rate while also completing 120 local missions, transporting 300,000 tons of munitions and sustainment cargo more than 172,000 miles in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom and New Dawn warfighters.

He revolutionized Air Force convoy operations by altering the convoy configuration; his efforts reduced the number of vehicles required for each mission by 28 percent, maintenance actions by 32 percent and risk to Airmen by 20 percent, while increasing the combat capability provided to the joint force commander by 13 percent. The exemplary leadership, personal endeavor and devotion to duty displayed by Boone in this responsible position reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

The Bronze Star Medal, authorized by Executive Order No. 9419 on Feb. 4, 1944, is awarded to a person in any branch of the military service who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States on or after December 7, 1941, shall have distinguished himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.