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***image1***Tech. Sgt. Charles Jost, 1st Communications Maintenance Squadron NCO in charge of vehicle support element, was recently awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for events that occurred while he was deployed.
Sergeant Jost deployed with a group of Air Force transporters to a forward base in Kuwait on Aug. 14. The Combat-Airmen’s main duties were to control gun trucks and protect convoys moving throughout Iraq.
“A lot of people don’t realize what we do downrange. We are down there on the front line taking fire every day,” said Sergeant Jost.
On Feb. 12, after a 42-day mission escorting Army units, the Combat-Airmen picked up another mission to provide security for a convoy of civilian trucks headed to a forward base in Iraq. Sergeant Jost was in the lead gun truck as the truck commander for the mission.
The mission was going fine as the convoys passed over pitch-black hillsides in Iraq.
“Everything was going pretty smooth; I was scanning the area with my night-vision goggles when I saw an object in the road ahead. The driver of the truck saw something as well. We got the words ‘What the …’ out then everything went blank. I remember feeling a lot of pressure like my head was going to explode, when I came too I realized my radio communications were dead so I started screaming for my crew. Luckily everyone walked out alive,” said Sergeant Jost.
Jost said he felt a sharp pain near his hip following the accident. During the blast, a piece of shrapnel shot under the door jam of the humvee, went in his upper thigh and lodged near his hip. Through the pain, Sergeant Jost managed to establish a security cordon and immediately reported information to higher headquarters. His action prevented other convoys from entering the kill zone and allowed his explosive ordnance disposal team to clear the area.
Throughout his entire deployment, Sergeant Jost’s flight conducted more than 200 convoy missions ranging 160,000 miles and ensured the safe delivery of more than 7,000 truckloads of critical supplies.
Sergeant Jost received the Purple Heart for the convoy incident and was awarded the Bronze Star for his overall achievements while down range.
“Sergeant Jost has always been an operationally focused leader in the squadron. This helped him transition into an exceptional combat leader who took care of the mission and his troops,” said Lt. Col. Rodney Radcliffe, 1st Communications Maintenance Squadron commander.
