News

AFROTC captain earns Bronze Star

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Two days after Capt. Andrew Scott landed in Afghanistan for a one-year tour, he suddenly found himself facing an unexpected challenge with the lives of a group of surrounded Soldiers on the line.

Captain Scott is an instructor at the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Georgia, which is attached to the 78th Force Support Squadron here. In June 2007, he was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom on a Joint Expeditionary Tasking, in which Air Force personnel are assigned duties that would ordinarily be performed by the Army or some other branch.

He was stationed at Camp Blackhorse, a Marine base also used by the Army, Navy and forces from other coalition countries. He was serving as a senior battle captain in the 201st Regional Security Advisory Command.

Two days after his team landed, a major operation began and they picked up radio traffic from a unit of 62 Afghan National Army soldiers and six of their U.S. Army trainers. The unit was not only surrounded and under fire by anti-coalition militants, but in a low area that inhibited their ability to fight back. They couldn't make contact with a nearby unit that would have been able to help them.

He and his team, assembled just prior to deployment, were trained in logistics. The situation at hand was outside their area of expertise, but no one else was at the base to take command of the situation, so the task fell on them to save the troops.

"We did all the coordination," Captain Scott said. "Within 30 minutes F-15s and Apaches were lighting up the area. It was a huge success story for us."

Although he credited his team with that success, the response and numerous other initiatives during his tour earned Captain Scott a Bronze Star. It was presented at UGA Jan. 20 by Brig. Gen. Teresa A.H. Djuric, Commander, Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Also in attendance were Col. John M. McCain, commander of the AFROTC, and Col. Richard Pierce, commander of the AFROTC Southeast Region.

Captain Scott had already been honored for his efforts that day by a unique gesture of one of the Army Soldiers who had been rescued. The Soldier found Captain Scott and with tears in his eyes, thanked him for his actions, and his calming influence as he talked with the Soldier over the radio, assuring him that help was on the way.

Later, the same Soldier was given a combat infantryman badge for what happened that day. He gave it to Captain Scott.

"He said he would never have lived to get that medal if it hadn't been for us," Captain Scott said. "Having that young Army specialist give me the first CIB he had earned, based on his thought that he would not have survived without our help, was one of the most sobering and humbling experiences during my year-long deployment. It completely solidified the importance of what we were doing, and the importance of doing it well, every time."

Plenty of "nasty stuff" happened after that event, but it has stuck in his memory because it was his team's second day on the job and they handled something they weren't really expecting.

His deployment itself was unique. Previously AFROTC staff were technically subject to be deployed, but almost never were deployed. Captain Scott was the first AFROTC officer ever to be deployed on what was then called an "in lieu of" assignment, but now is called a Joint Expeditionary Tasking.

The experience, he said, was significant because it gave him a first-hand look at the future of what will be expected of an Airman. He said just a few years ago airmen specialized in certain jobs, but in the new war on terror Airmen will be expected to perform multiple duties.

"Today's Airman does not even resemble the Airman of five or 10 years ago," he said. "We really have to appreciate and understand that you are going to find yourself doing things that are not your expertise, and you've got to be able to pitch in and be part of the team and not say 'that is not my job.'"

His experience on deployment covered a wide range of tasks, including oversight of tactical convoys and operations across the Area of Responsibility. He led and managed the tactical operations center that led to "highly effective" support of forces with medical evacuations, close air support, indirect fire support and ordnance disposal, the award citation stated.

His commanding officer in the AFROTC unit, Lt. Col. David Baylor, said having ROTC instructors deploy is good for the organization, which is dedicated to preparing college students for careers as Air Force officers.

"I think it's phenomenal because it brings back real-world experience," Colonel Baylor said. "I knew Captain Scott was a great officer and a great leader and this was opportunity for him to show those skills while working with sister services."