Command chief awarded Bronze Star Published June 3, 2011 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Before he became command chief of the 78th Air Base Wing and the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Chief Master Sgt. Patrick Bowen had a big job at Al Udeid Air Base in Southwest Asia. From Sept. 8, 2008 to Sept. 4, 2009, he was superintendent of the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron - the largest and most diverse squadron in Air Forces Central - and helped keep 102 aircraft responding to the needs of warfighters in Southwest Asia. For his efforts and innovations in the job, he was honored Tuesday with the nation's fourth highest combat medal, the Bronze Star. "I didn't go to the desert worrying about getting a medal," Bowen said prior to receiving the award. "I was just focused on the job at hand. But to be nominated for, let alone earn it, is obviously quite an honor." Col. Carl Buhler, the 78th's commander, pinned the medal on Bowen at the wing's monthly promotion celebration. Buhler knows plenty about what Bowen did in Southwest Asia because the two served together for nine months prior to Buhler coming to Robins. "I can tell you that organization needed Chief Bowen," said Buhler, who commanded the maintenance group there. "He did an amazing amount of work. He deserves this Bronze Star." If anyone believes a Bronze Star is easy to come by, it's not, noted Buhler, who said several people in positions of leadership did not receive the medal. According to the citation, during his deployment Bow-en's squadron, which operated nine central repair facilities, enabled 26,000 sorties in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa. "His actions (also) proved vital to several life-saving sorties such as the four-day aircraft surge in support of combined operations targeting known Taliban narcotics hubs," the citation stated. "Together, these air assets delivered a strategic blow against the Taliban's primary funding source by eliminating several hundred pounds of narcotics, narcotics processing supplies, and massive amounts of bomb-making materials used to attack coalition forces." Bowen called his task in Southwest Asia "daunting" but also rewarding, and he brought much from the experience to his job here. "Everything matters and every job is important," he said. "It takes everyone to make the machine work."