Explosive ordnance disposal technicians Tech Sgt. John Hurley, Master Sgt. Michael Sears and Staff Sgt. Josh Jerden were on patrol in Afghanistan Sept. 29, 2012, when eight to 10 insurgents opened fire on their EOD vehicle.
They are among 24 airmen honored for heroism in the Air Force's latest Portraits in Courage volume.
Sears saw a rocket-propelled grenade fly less than three feet from his truck's turret, and then hit a nearby Polish mine-resistant, armored-protective vehicle, or MRAP.
Hurley provided cover fire while Sears ran across 50 feet of open terrain through gunfire to reach a wounded Polish soldier. He dragged the soldier to cover behind the vehicle and started administering aid for his partially amputated leg.
Jerden then moved his vehicle to provide more cover for Sears and the wounded soldier, but several more rounds of gunfire hit nearby them. Sears jumped on the wounded soldier and fired back with his M4. The soldier's vital signs began deteriorating, but the Polish medics were pinned down more than 100 feet away. As Hurley provided covering fire from the turret, Sears crossed that area twice under fire to escort the medics to the wounded soldier.
The team then suppressed the attackers, which allowed the wounded soldier to be evacuated. Sears was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Hurley and Jerden were submitted for the Air Force Commendation with Valor.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
