Offutt wounded warrior honored at ceremony

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Danielle Grannan
  • 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  More than 100 people gathered in the 55th Security Forces Squadron guardmount room April 14 to recognize and honor the bravery of a fellow Team Offutt member who was seriously injured during a recent deployment.

Lt. Col. Brian Barthel, 55th SFS commander, and Brig. Gen. John N.T. Shanahan, 55th Wing commander, presented Senior Airman Victor Wise, a 55th SFS member, with two Army Commendation Medals and an Air Force Combat Action Medal for his service in combat operations during a deployment last year in which he sustained serious injuries to both of his legs.

"Airman Wise was on a [year-long deployment] in Iraq during combat operations," Colonel Barthel said. "He has gone through a lot of surgeries and a lot of pain ... he is a testament to the men and women of the 55th SFS."

As part of his regular duties during his deployment, Airman Wise was assigned as a gunner on a combat patrol Sept. 8, 2009, when his patrol was hit with an improvised explosive device, killing a lieutenant and seriously injuring other patrol members. Despite the wounds that would later require surgeries and physical therapy among other care, Airman Wise did everything he could to help his fellow servicemembers get him and others to safety.

"Although severely wounded, he fought to assist teammates by pushing up on his wounded legs when they pulled him from his truck," read Master Sergeant Shawn Price, 55th SFS first sergeant, as General Shanahan and Colonel Barthel presented Airman Wise with one of two Army Commendation Medals. "Senior Airman Wise's actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflect distinct credit on himself, the 93rd Military Police Battalion, the 49th Military Police Brigade and the United States Army."

Airman Wise also received an Air Force Combat Action Medal for his service "having been an active participant in combat and having been under direct and hostile fire while physically engaging hostile forces with direct and lethal fire in connection with military operations," according to the medal citation.

"As a warrior, I don't know what medal is more important than the one he just received -- the combat action medal," General Shanahan said. "I think it's safe to say that it's not one he wanted to earn the way he earned it. But the fact that he's wearing it now ... he'll wear it with pride for the rest of his life because it means that he was there, and he was engaged. He paid the price, and the lieutenant that he was with paid the ultimate price, which he will never forget. The combat action medal shows that you're looking at a warrior."

At the award presentation, both General Shanahan and Colonel Barthel stressed the importance of training and the role it played in saving Airman Wise's life.

"[Airman Wise] is a humble man -- you can see that," General Shanahan said. "He's not up here to get any glory. He's up here because he was put into a situation where he did what he was trained to do. This doesn't happen by happenstance, it doesn't happen by luck. When something happens in the blink of an eye ... you only know what you've been trained to do and he fell back on that."

"While he's getting an award today for his actions, it's really a team effort," Colonel Barthel said. "He has supervisors here who trained him and leaders who led him. He had friends pushing him. So you should all take that to heart and realize that you're a part of this ceremony for a reason."

Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Sirois, 55th Wing command chief was also at the ceremony and presented Airman Wise with a coveted honor for Team Offutt members -- a brick from the historic Martin Bomber Building.

Despite his injuries, Airman Wise remained standing while he was presented with these decorations, and refused to take a seat after the ceremony while his fellow Team Offutt members came forward and congratulated him.

"He did it because he is a warrior," General Shanahan said. "He is one of you, he is one of us. He is part of the Fightin' Fifty-Fifth. So on behalf of the entire wing, I'm proud to be here in front of you, pinning that combat action medal on a warrior."