The Story:
Establishing security in the war-torn nation of Afghanistan requires international and Afghan security forces to work in tandem across the country, in operations that often see Afghans risking their lives for Americans and Americans risking theirs for Afghans. In August 2006, Senior Airman King fought side-by- side with his brothers in arms, and dealt the enemies of a free Afghanistan a blow.
King was leading a convoy on a quiet street in Ebrahimkhel, just north of Khandahar, when a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) landed near his Humvee, followed by a hail of machine-gun fire from a nearby fortified compound. He later remarked that “his training kicked in”: He moved his vehicle to block the rest of the convoy from torrents of bullets, and he fired back with his M4 and grenade launcher. Despite suffering a concussion from an RPG blast, King continued to expose himself to enemy fire even as he directed the aim of the Afghan soldiers. Shortly after clearing enemy positions, King discovered another ambush site, where the Taliban had pinned down five Afghan soldiers. King rammed a truck stuck in a wadi, allowing the soldiers to escape.
The Airman then helped establish a perimeter to more effectively beat back the enemy forces. At this point, the team phoned in air support. For 20 more minutes, however, the convoy continued fighting as they waited for the planes. Shortly before support arrived, King again braved enemy fire as he marked the targets for the bombers. The firepower from the aircraft destroyed the Taliban, and ended the battle.
In all, King’s actions helped eliminate 20-25 Taliban, while saving over a dozen Afghans. His heroism earned him the Bronze Star with Valor in July 2007.