Kirtland sergeant receives Bronze Star, Purple Heart medals

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  A Kirtland warrior received two military medals after surviving a car bombing while deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan.

"I never thought I'd receive a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal," said Tech. Sgt. Austin Hardin, a paralegal in the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center Legal Office. "Although I wish I hadn't had the experience, I'm honored to be recognized."

Hardin's awards came because of an attack that took place Oct. 18, 2013. He was driving the second of a two-car convoy when the lead car took a direct hit from a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

The explosion disabled the first vehicle and blew out the windshield, driver's side door and rear windows of Hardin's vehicle, knocking him unconscious. When he regained consciousness, his team was being engaged with enemy fire from an insurgent force.

Hardin was initially unable to get his vehicle moving. He returned suppression fire until he successfully put his vehicle in motion. He moved into a blocking position to protect passengers from the first vehicle while they loaded into his car. Once all three passengers were safely loaded, they sped away and made it to Camp Phoenix without further incident. None of the six passengers from the convoy was seriously injured.

"It was a rollercoaster of emotions," Hardin said. "Being blown up was obviously a low. Discovering that all the passengers in the other vehicle were alive, when we thought they were dead, was a high. Not being able to get my vehicle moving while being fired upon was a low. Eventually being able to get my car in drive and pick up the others and transport everyone safely back to the base was a high."

Hardin said the first thing he did when he regained consciousness was to ensure his legs where still there. While no military members were badly injured in explosion, a civilian woman and her three children were killed, as well as two other civilians.

Hardin, a former security forces Airman who cross-trained into legal, said he wouldn't mind being deployed again, but promised his wife he wouldn't volunteer.

"I don't think I'll be deploying again for a while," he said.

According to the award citation, Hardin's "leadership, tactical knowledge, and demonstration of true warrior ethos enabled his team to fight and self-evacuate under extremely difficult conditions."