Dedication recognizes Airmen who deliver under fire

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Lee Roberts
  • Air Force News Agency
Hurlburt Field, Florida --  Senior Enlisted Leader Summit participants and officials recognized the perseverance of Airmen on convoy duty at the Air Force Convoy Gun Truck Dedication at the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall July 23 at Maxwell Air Force Base's Gunter Annex, Ala. 

More than 350 people in attendance dedicated a static display in front of the museum of an Air Force convoy gun truck that was left inoperable after an improvised explosive device attack in 2005. 

Vehicle operators, maintainers and security forces deliver supplies on convoy missions along some of the most dangerous routes in the world. For these Airmen, every foot traveled is treacherous, even lethal under fire. 

"Their mission is non-traditional," said Chief Master Sgt. Malcolm McVicar, the director of the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall, while describing these Airmen who make vital deliveries of equipment and provisions. 

"Today our Airmen provide security in Iraq to ensure desperately needed supplies get to those men and women who need them the most," Chief McVicar said. "They are often attacked with small arms fire or improvised explosive devices, and even in the presence of danger, these men and women continue to serve and perform their mission admirably." 

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley recognized the sacrifices Airmen make hauling truckloads of supplies. 

"At this very moment, we have Airmen in harm's way who are driving convoys," Chief McKinley said. "And we pray they will return safely back home." 

For Chief Master Sgt. Tony Killion, Air Force career field manager for vehicle operations at the Pentagon, this static display is largely overdue. 

"This is one of the few static displays for folks not in the flying business," Chief Killion said following the dedication. "This is a big thing for our career field." 

A convoy veteran himself, Chief Killion said five Airmen have paid the ultimate price. 

"It is unfortunate - the loss of any Airman is too many," he said. "The number of missions and the number of miles a single detachment travels in a typical six-month rotation, five million miles, is significant. The amount of casualties we take versus the amount of time we spend on the road is a great testament to their training, awareness and leadership at all levels." 

Chief McVicar recognized Master Sgt. Matt Wickham who, while serving in Iraq in 2005, proposed releasing the truck to the heritage hall. The chief also spoke of other services, individuals and a commercial trucking company that were involved with the receipt and transport of the vehicle from Iraq to Alabama, at no additional cost to the government. 

In April 2007, 10 members of the 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron volunteered to strip, paint and reseal the truck so it could be put on permanent display at Gunter Annex. 

Altogether, these Airmen donated more than 1,000 volunteer hours. They saved the heritage hall $20,000 it would have cost to fabricate the truck commercially. 

"It was actually something a lot of us wanted to do. A lot of us have been on convoys," said Staff Sgt. Brian Hanson, a shop supervisor from the 1st SOLRS.