NCO earns Bronze Star

by Senior Airman Nick Wilson
509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

11/26/2012 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo -- An Airman with the 509th Logistics Readiness Squadron was presented the Bronze Star for meritorious service at a ceremony here Nov. 20.

Tech. Sgt. James Hoskins, 509th LRS quality assurance inspector, was presented the award by Brig. Gen. Thomas Bussiere, 509th Bomb Wing commander.

"For what it represents, [receiving the award] is very humbling," Hoskins said. "I'm just thankful I was even considered for it, let alone awarded it. It's a very big deal, so I'm pretty happy."

Hoskins served on a one-year deployment from July 2011 to July 2012 as a combat fuels advisor to the Afghan National Army Materiel Management Center, which is part of the Strategic Operations branch, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.

As a combat advisor, his primary duty was to train and equip the Afghan National Army.

"I scheduled convoys, moving all classes of supply throughout the country, from the main capital center to areas throughout the region," he said.

By equipping troops for the fight, Hoskins' actions directly contributed to coalition efforts on the frontlines.

"None of our advisor team could train the security missions and teach Afghans how to fight with weapons if they weren't getting the supplies they needed," Hoskins said.

Hoskins' daily routine also focused heavily on patrols outside the wire, patrols which were conducted six days a week.

"I had more than 420 combat patrols under my belt during the duration of the deployment," Hoskins said. "Most of the time, I was the lead 240-Bravo gunner, so...traveling on roads with vehicle-born improvised explosive devices, and being at risk to combatants with firearms, was a constant threat."

Hoskins had to work above both his pay grade and outside his area of expertise while deployed with joint and coalition forces. His deployed responsibilities differed greatly from those in his job at Whiteman, where he serves as a quality assurance inspector.

Hoskins said the switch from an on-guard tactical mentality to that of a strategic combat advisor was quite a challenge.

"Here, we get so focused at what we're doing at just one base or within a MAJCOM," Hoskins said. "Over there you were seeing how what you did impacted national-level logistics."

With an eventful schedule of combat patrolling and advising, Hoskins' days sometimes lasted 16 or 17 hours.

"Carrying 80 pounds of gear for multiple days is mentally and physically fatiguing," Hoskins said. "And I never had time to recover. I never got a day off to just sit and relax and let my mind run free because I was constantly being tasked."

Working an entire year without a day off was not the only challenge for Hoskins.

"The differences in the U.S. and Afghan cultures [were] also a difficult adjustment," Hoskins said. "Saturdays were the start of our weeks. The one day we did not roll outside the wire was Fridays, which we spent developing programs, answering emails, attending meetings and hosting video teleconferences."

Overall, Hoskins' duties were extremely stressful because of the challenges he faced outside his scope of expertise.

"There were times when we executed tasks on what seemed liked an unrealistic timetable, but we as the junior enlisted force always pulled up our boots and made it happen," Hoskins said.

One of Hoskins' major accomplishments was compiling a 106-page document that provided Afghans step-by-step procedures for core processes.

"I took the decade-old document, wiped the slate clean and wrote them a more comprehensive one," Hoskins said. "It was routed up to the Afghan National Command and signed by their Minister of Defense."

After the signing, the document was released to the Afghan National Army for immediate implementation.

"Arriving to the area as a young staff sergeant who just pinned on technical sergeant, Hoskins was advising an Afghan National Army full-bird colonel," said Chief Master Sgt. Scott Fujimoto, 509th LRS squadron superintendent. "With U.S. Forces and coalition partners, Hoskins stepped up to each challenge, keeping the mission moving forward."