Kirtland AFB NCOs Receive Bronze Star Medals

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  • By Base Public Affairs
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Kirtland Air Force Base, NM --  Two noncommissioned officers stationed at Kirtland AFB received Bronze Star Medals in a ceremony Monday at the 377th Air Base Wing Presentation Center.

Senior Master Sgt. Brett B. Rogers and Tech. Sgt. Albert K. Jewell, both assigned to the 377th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight, were recognized for accomplishments during recent deployments to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Colonel Robert L. Maness, 377th Air Base Wing commander, was the presiding official. In welcoming the attendees, he emphasized the importance of the family members of the honorees, saying, "We in the blue suit are nothing without the support of our families."

A former EOD specialist, Colonel Maness said, "In EOD, you get used to phrases like 'total success or total failure,' and 'failure is not an option.' Those words are the essence of the Air Force's core values - and what these two men stand for - 'integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do.' Some key phrases in the Airman's Creed speak to me when I think of EOD - 'We will not falter. We will not fail. Wingman, leader, warrior.' These two gentlemen we honor today are the essence of that," he said.

In closing, Colonel Maness noted that it was Tech. Sgt. Jewell's first Bronze Star.

"He has more than 100 combat missions, and every one was another spear in the enemy's heart. That's the 'spirit of the tiger' that is the 377th Air Base Wing's heritage," he said.

Senior Master Sgt. Brett B. Rogers received the Bronze Star Medal, first oak leaf cluster, for exceptionally meritorious service to the United States as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight chief, 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, 506th Air Expeditionary Group, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, for Combined Joint Task Force Troy, Multinational Corps-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, from April 10, 2009 to October 24, 2009, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During this period, Senior Master Sgt. Rogers' battle-proven experience was critical to the success of Multinational Division North- Kirkuk Regional Air Base and Forward Operating Base McHenry. His leadership and decisiveness ensured solid EOD support to more than 4,000 coalition forces and more than one million local civilians across a 47,000 square-mile battlespace. His proactive coordination of 30 EOD operators and the weapons intelligence team, while ensuring 32 armored vehicles, $18 million of life-saving equipment and numerous classified systems were always ready for mission execution, was exceptionally outstanding. Senior Master Sgt. Rogers personally led 39 Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen, four contractors and two interpreters through the execution of 680 flawless combat EOD missions in direct support of 2-1 Cavalry Brigade's "Black Jack" area of operation. His teams destroyed 159 improvised explosive devices, interrogated 84 post-blast sites, and cleared 28,000 kilometers of extremely hazardous roadways, accounting for the destruction of more than 4,000 pounds of explosives and more than 15,000 ordnance items denied use by insurgents and violent extremists.

Senior Master Sgt. Rogers was instrumental to the resounding success of 21 named operations throughout this dangerous and dynamically evolving operating environment, repositioning eight teams in the area of operation in order to provide assets to both ground and air assaults on multiple objectives clearing the path of IEDs.

During a unique time in Iraq's history, Senior Master Sgt. Rogers seized the opportunity to integrate with Kirkuk city Iraqi police counter-explosives team, leading actions required for official access to Forward Operating Base Warrior and setting conditions for training the Iraqi police counter-explosives team on counter-IED procedures, robotic maintenance and repair, and delegating actual joint operations on multiple outside-the-wire operations. He ensured Iraqi police counter-explosives team received the latest tactics, techniques and procedures to conduct operations in accordance with the milestone Iraqi security agreement, and personally oversaw the co-location of Iraqi police counter-explosives team within the 506th EOD compound. In keeping with the last stages of the coalition force mission in Iraq, this level of integration, through training and joint EOD responses, led to the development of a fully capable Kirkuk EOD force. His personal mentorship of Iraqi police counter-explosives team was key to attaining partnering goals established by Combined Joint Task Force Troy.

Senior Master Sgt. Rogers was also instrumental in several DoD-level classified missions designed to deny insurgent activity and IED emplacement. His oversight during the development of plans and programs ensured coalition forces awareness of the latest enemy tactics and provided materials used in exploitation of the enemy's weapons caches.

Finally, Senior Master Sgt. Rogers' invaluable combat experience and leadership proved critical during numerous missions. On one occasion, he led a team on a night response to a command-initiated IED directly targeting coalition force convoys. His unwavering professionalism and dedication were crucial to the overwhelming success of Central Command's mission in Iraq.

Senior Master Sgt. Brett B. Rogers' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, multi-national corps-Iraq and the United States Air Force.

Tech. Sgt. Albert K. Jewell received the Bronze Star Medal for exceptionally meritorious service to the United States as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team leader, 506th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, 506th Air Expeditionary Group, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, for Combined Joint Task Force Troy, Multinational Corps-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq, from April 10, 2009 to October 24, 2009, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

During this period, Tech. Sgt. Jewell excelled as Forward Operating Base McHenry EOD chief and team leader responsible for operating within a 47,000 square mile battlespace, including Forward Operating Bases Warrior and McHenry. Tech. Sgt. Jewell led his team through 117 combat missions in direct support of 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team-1st Cavalry Division "Black Jack" area of responsibility, encompassing more than 4,000 personnel from different organizations and agencies. His leadership successfully allowed his team to conduct combat missions in an ever-changing operational environment, ensuring freedom of movement for coalition forces through a critical period of transition involving the implementation of the security agreement allowing execution of U.S. and Iraqi policy. Tech. Sgt. Jewell conducted counter-improvised explosive device combat operations on 40 route clearance patrol missions, clearing 3,963 kilometers of critical supply routes and other mission-essential roads, allowing freedom of movement for tactical maneuver elements within the "Black Jack" area of operation.

Tech. Sgt. Jewell led his team in defeating 14 improvised explosive devices, denied the enemy use of five weapons caches, and partnered with Iraqi police counter-explosives team on 35 UXO responses and four demolition operations, destroying 1,328 ordnance items with a net explosive weight of 1,216 pounds. His decisive actions and leadership in combat significantly degraded the ability of insurgents to manufacture and emplace IEDs in Kirkuk province.

On April 25, 2009, Tech. Sgt. Jewell responded to an improvised rocket launcher aimed at a coalition forward operating base. After rendering the rocket and launcher safe, he immediately identified a secondary IED designed to kill first responders. Instead of detonating the IED in place, Tech. Sgt. Jewell masterfully employed specialized EOD techniques to render safe the secondary IED without destroying any evidence. He personally collected two UXOs and all IED components for turnover to the counter-explosives exploitation cell. Tech. Sgt. Jewell's careful forensic evidence collection techniques directly resulted in nine sets of fingerprints used in the prosecution of four detainees.

On a similar occasion, Tech. Sgt. Jewell responded to an indirect fire rocket intended to strike Forward Operating Base Warrior. Expertly tracing the rocket's path back to an insurgent-emplaced improvised rocket launcher array, Tech. Sgt. Jewell cleared the area of secondary IEDs and collected critical evidence, resulting in two fingerprint sets and an insurgent cell phone, invaluable to future prosecutions.

On June 2, 2009, in an unparalleled display of leadership, he led both his EOD team and the assigned weapons intelligence team in the recovery of an IED maker's cache. He carefully catalogued and processed 101 pieces of evidence, including the insurgent's cell phone and two cell phone sim cards. Three magnetic IEDs recovered in the cache yielded 10 sets of fingerprints of an insurgent known to be targeting Iraqis attempting to stabilize the country.

Tech. Sgt. Jewell was hand-selected for his experience and technical knowledge as a primary EOD instructor to the Iraqi police counter-explosive team trainers. He provided 27 classroom and practical training seminars to 12 Kirkuk Iraqi police counter-explosive team members in IED identification techniques, render-safe procedures, ordnance disposal, robotics repair and operations, and evidence recovery and collection procedures. This training enabled the Iraqi police to safely identify and mitigate the hazards posed by more than 200 IEDs directly contributing to conditions of instability to Kirkuk city and the Kirkuk province, and enabled the Iraqi police to safely dismantle IEDs and recover physical and forensic evidence.
Tech. Sgt. Jewell's actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, Multinational Corps-Iraq, and the United States Air Force.

The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to any person who distinguishes himself or herself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy; or while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. When awarded for bravery, it is the fourth-highest combat award of the U.S. armed forces and the ninth-highest military award (including both combat and non-combat awards) in the order of precedence of U.S. military decorations.