ANG Director present medals to NY Air Guardsmen

by Tech. Sgt. Michael O'halloran
105th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

3/4/2014 - STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. -- Twenty Air Force Airmen with the 105th Base Defense Squadron here received 29 medals Sunday during an awards ceremony attended by Lt. Gen. Stanley E. Clarke III, the director of the Air National Guard.

Clarke presented awards to Air Guardsmen who deployed with the 820th Base Defense Group, Moody Air Force Base, Ga., to provide "outside the wire" base defense at Bagram Airfield, Parwan province, Afghanistan.

"I've done multiple award ceremonies throughout my thirty something years, never one like this; in any capacity, in any place that I've ever served," said Clarke. "It's a historic day obviously for the members themselves, their families, the unit, the New York National Guard, the Air National Guard, and the United States Air Force, and the Nation."

A total of 29 medals were awarded to include; 5 Bronze Stars, 12 Purple Hearts, and 12 Air Force Combat Action Ribbons.

Recipients of the Bronze Star: Chief Master Sgt. David Pritchard, Master Sgt. Shawn Knowlton, Master Sgt. Jose Pena-Rojas, Master Sgt. Michael O'Connell, and Tech .Sgt. Christopher Drews.

Recipients of the Purple Heart: Master Sgt. Shawn Knowlton (2 awards), Staff Sgt. Nigel Darby (2 awards), Staff Sgt. Wiston Rios, Senior Airman Michael Hanson, Senior Airman Kevin Mullings, Senior Airman Amanda Martino (2 awards), Senior Airman Thomas Pulaski, Airman 1st Class Samuel Davies, Airman 1st Class Matthew Zuniga, and Airman 1st Class Marie Ann Raguso.

Recipients of the Air Force Combat Action medal: Master Sgt. Shawn Knowlton, Tech. Sgt. Michael Pacenza, Staff Sgt. John Bellino, Staff Sgt. Dustin Helms, Staff Sgt. Wiston Rios, Staff Sgt. Nigel Darby, Staff Sgt. Vinh Taylor, Staff Sgt. Miguel Nin Jr., Senior Airman Justin Murphy, Senior Airman Amanda Martino, Airman 1st Class Marie Ann Raguso, and Airman 1st Class Matthew Zuniga.

"We are thankful for the manner in which you conducted yourselves under the most challenging of circumstances, we are most thankful for you being here with us today," said Col. Timothy J. LaBarge, the 105th Air Wing commander, during his introductory comments. "That gratitude stands in stark contrast to the immense sadness that we are feeling today, sadness because one of our 105th SFS deployers did not make it back with you. Staff Sgt. 'TJ' Lobraico, a true American hero, may not be physically present in the room with us today, but he is with us spiritually and will be forever ... so if I had to summarize the heart and soul of today's ceremony I would do it with two words - courage and gratitude - your courage and our gratitude."