Two AFOSI agents receive Bronze Star

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Lauren Wright
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Jimmy Doolittle received one. So did Colin Powell. Other service members throughout the rank structure have earned this honor for heroic or meritorious achievement. Now, two Ellsworth Airmen can be added to the list of Bronze Star recipients.

While deployed to Iraq, Terry Krebs, Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 226 commander, and Joshua Goodwin, Detachment 226 special agent, received the noteworthy award for their achievements as members of AFOSI Detachment 2408 in Iraq.

Since July, AFOSI Det. 2408 agents aided in the capture of insurgent cells, individual insurgents and a large weapons and bomb-making materials cache. While the agents were not deployed for a year, the detachment they served in Iraq has identified more than 500 threats in the past year.

"It was the toughest thing that I've had to do in my 22 years of active duty," said Special Agent Terry Krebs, who served as AFOSI Det 2408 commander during his deployment. "(Courage) is hard to define after going to the war, but I saw it on all of my folks' faces everyday after going outside the wire, coming back and wanting to go out again."

Car chases, firefights and attacks came with the territory as these Airmen traveled outside the wire in Iraq. AFOSI agents gathered information to help them zero in on improvised explosive device directors, makers, planters and insurgents responsible for base attacks, planning kidnappings, killing service members and holding locals hostage.

AFOSI agents identify, investigate and neutralize threats to the Air Force and Department of Defense personnel and resources. They also conduct independent, unbiased and centrally directed investigations of criminal activity in the Air Force.

Special Agent Goodwin said his service overseas was special, but not a complete detachment from what his duties are in garrison.

The skill set is the same, but the deployed environment is more exciting, Goodwin said. "I can't believe I get to do this everyday."

This 'can do' attitude makes the agents in the AOR stand out, said Brig. Gen. Dana A. Simmons, Air Force Office of Special Investigations commander, during a visit to Det. 2408.

"We send them equipped and trained to perform their missions here, but they refine that duty to help keep Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines alive," General Simmons said. Their job is to go 'outside the wire' to collect information and hand it off for other units, and sometimes other Services, to make the capture.

"Their threats are our threats," said Agent Krebs, referring to the teamwork between
Services.

He returned to South Dakota in November with somber reflections of his time overseas.

"You appreciate the things we take for granted -- like walking out of your house and not being shot at," he said.

Editor's note: The Bronze Star is authorized by Executive Order No. 9419 on Feb. 4, 1944, is awarded to a person in any branch of the military service who, while serving in any capacity with the Armed Forces of the United States on or after Dec. 7, 1941, shall have distinguished himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.

Editor's note: Staff Sgt. Eric Bolt, 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs, and Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey, 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs contributed to this story.