Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, salutes Royal Air Force Lakenheath Airmen during an awards presentation at the Strike Eagle Complex Feb. 10, 2012. Schwartz presented five Airman from the 48th Fighter Wing with medals for demonstrating bravery and heroism in the line of duty. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan)
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, greets Linda Fife, mother of Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Fife, 56th Helicopter Maintenance Unit NCO in charge, prior to an awards presentation at the Strike Eagle Complex, Feb. 10, 2012. at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Fife was presented the Airman’s Medal for his bravery and heroism in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan)
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, greets Staff Sgt. Trevor Brewer, 48th Security Forces Squadron NCO in charge of vehicles, prior to an awards presentation at the Strike Eagle Complex Feb. 10, 2012 at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Brewer, along with three other security forces Airmen were, presented medals for their assertiveness and courageous actions during the shooting at Frankfurt International Airport, Germany in March 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan)
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, presents Senior Airman Ashley Cunningham, 48th Security Forces Squadron patrolman, with a commendation medal Feb. 10, 2012 at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Cunningham, along with three other security forces Airmen, were presented medals for their assertiveness and courageous actions during the shooting at Frankfurt International Airport, Germany in March 2011. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan)
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, speaks during an awards presentation at the Strike Eagle Complex Feb. 10, 2012 at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Schwartz presented five Lakenheath Airmen with medals for demonstrating bravery and heroism in the line of duty. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan)
by Capt. James Nichols
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
2/21/2012 - ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England (AFNS) -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz recognized five 48th Fighter Wing Airmen during a medal ceremony here Feb. 10 for distinguishing themselves through acts of courage.
Before family and friends gathered in the Strike Eagle Complex, Schwartz presented Airman's Medals to Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Fife and Staff Sgt. Trevor Brewer, and Air Force Commendation Medals to Senior Airman Ashley Cunningham, Senior Airman Charles Anderson-Goodman, and Airman 1st Class Reginald Golliday.
The general said many Airmen sometimes wonder how they will respond when a crisis strikes.
"The wonderful thing about the Airmen who are receiving awards today is that when that test came for them, they delivered," Schwartz said.
Currently with the 56th Helicopter Maintenance Unit, Fife helped save over 2,100 Afghan people trapped by the flooding Kabul River in July 2010. During rescue operations, Fife saved two Afghan children by jumping into the river from a helicopter to pull them to safety.
Brewer, Cunningham, Anderson-Goodman and Golliday are members of the 48th Security Forces Squadron. All four were on an Air Force bus at Frankfurt International Airport on March 2, 2011, when a man entered the vehicle and began firing a handgun at the Airmen on board.
Despite being unarmed, Brewer helped prevent further loss of life and apprehend the attacker by chasing him into the airport, while Cunningham, Anderson-Goodman and Golliday provided emergency medical care to those wounded by the assailant.
Schwartz thanked the medal recipients for their dedication and their family members for their support of the Airmen, saying how honored he was to take part in the ceremony.
"Sincerely, to the awards recipients, you displayed a remarkable presence of mind and remarkable commitment to others," Schwartz said. "I think it is an extraordinarily special moment when we have the opportunity to honor our Air Force members for delivering at the right moment and the most demanding time."
The recipients themselves expressed their gratitude in return.
"Being recognized by the chief of staff was a great feeling," said Anderson-Goodman.
"We weren't looking for recognition, but for him to come down and give us this award was a great feeling."
Golliday said he saw the medals as a way of commemorating his fellow comrades who did not survive the Frankfurt incident.
"This day was important to me because I was able to accept this award, not for myself, but for [the Airmen who lost their lives during the shooting]," Golliday said. "To receive the award from the chief of staff is the greatest honor."
Comments
2/24/2012 12:54:04 PM ET This is a really cool story to read. It's nice to read stories about Airmen doing such things like this that are beyond the call of duty. I wish more positive stories like this got out there to the general public rather than stories of Marines urinating on taliban insurgents. What these Airmen did truly represent the values of the United States military.
Jose Davis, Ft. Meade
2/24/2012 12:08:24 PM ET Mo-People's lives were saved from the actions of those Airmen just doing their job Lives were also lost that day as well. Your comments are ridiculous and unwarrented.
TSgt, Alaska
2/24/2012 10:32:40 AM ET Job Well Done DefendersTo Mo from Midsouth...As I would tell my troops back in the day Shut Up. You are probably one of those airman who has to be kicked in the pants to get any work out of you and you can't stand to see dedicated hardworking airmen getting recognized for going above and beyond or putting their training to work to accomplish the mission. Knocking someone down makes you feel good because you can't get satisfaction from doing what is right.
Ret SNCO, ALABAMA
2/21/2012 8:25:37 PM ET Let's see the enemy flees from the scene of the crime. They do what they are trained to do so the AF gives them a AFCOM. AF decorations system at work OK. Sincerely they did their job and should be recoginized for it. CSAF coin LOA and a handshake would be appropriate here.
Mo, MidSouth
2/21/2012 3:57:33 PM ET Well deserved and RIP to those who lost their lives almost a year ago.
