Airman makes history

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Monique Randolph
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
Washington, D.C. --  Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley awarded six Airmen the Air Force Combat Action Medal during a ceremony June 12 at the Air Force Memorial. These Airmen were the first in the Air Force to receive the new medal.

Recipients of the award were Maj. Steven A. Raspet, Capt. Allison K. Black, Senior Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez, Master Sgt. Charlie Peterson, Master Sgt. Byron P. Allen and Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Paxton.

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.
The medal's design is one of a kind, General Moseley said. It is the only American award with a diagonal stripe. The design was inspired by a personal insignia Brig. Gen. William "Billy" Mitchell had painted on the aircraft he flew over St. Mihiel, (France) in September 1918. He flew the aircraft while developing plans for what would become the first major American offensive in World War I. "(General Mitchell's) legacy is manifested in today's Air Force in so many ways, not the least of which is this new medal," said General Moseley. "This year we celebrate the 60th anniversary of his most important legacy... the creation of the United States Air Force as an independent service."

"The medal ties the Airmen of today engaged with enemy hostile to the legacy of
courage, valor, service and sacrifice that our predecessors left us," he said. "These Airmen, like all Airmen, stand on the shoulders of giants such as Billy Mitchell, (Henry "Hap") Arnold, (Claire) Chennault, (James) Doolittle, (Curtis) LeMay and (Bernard) Schriever," said the general. "Today we recognize these six amazing Airmen for their combat roles as warriors wielding the air power bequeathed to us by these giants."

As one of the honored recipients of the Air Force Combat Medal, Master Sgt. Charlie Peterson has been a member of the 927th Logistics Readiness Squadron since  April, 1990.

During his deployment to Iraq on July 28, 2004, Sergeant Peterson was operating the command vehicle for a 20-vehicle supply convoy near Balad Air Base. Halfway through their transit, Sergeant Peterson's vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device filled with ball bearings. The 18-wheel truck preceding his vehicle also was hit and became engulfed in flames while Sergeant Peterson's vehicle was left inoperable and without communications.

Despite taking shrapnel and glass in his head and left arm, Sergeant Peterson left the command vehicle, obtained the medical status of his convoy commander and gunner, who were in the same vehicle, secured the perimeter and used a global positioning system to notify the battle staff of the enemy engagement.

The convoy was rerouted to a safe zone where Sergeant Peterson was medically evacuated by helicopter to receive treatment for his wounds.