Roadside bombs don't stop NCO from rolling on

  • Published
  • By Capt. Mike Chillstrom
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFPN) --  He had pieces of glass in his mouth and ears, six broken teeth, facial lacerations and a badly torn up vehicle.

"I just looked up and 'Boom!'" said Staff Sgt. Chris Lelm, 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron from Grand Forks AFB who was driving in a convoy while deployed to Iraq. "I don't remember hearing anything -- I think we were too close to hear it. It was just a flash."

It was the second of three roadside bombs that had hit his convoy. The first improvised explosive device caused little damage. The second IED -- believed to be a 155 mm artillery shell -- hit the vehicle Sergeant Lelm was in. A big piece of debris hit the driver's side window and other shrapnel hit the passenger side where Sergeant Lelm was riding.

"Wearing (goggles) saved my eyes," he said. "I had gouges in my glasses (from the shrapnel) -- if I hadn't been wearing them, I probably wouldn't have my eyes."

In Iraq, life is sometimes a matter of inches. Sergeant Lelm and the Airmen running line haul convoy missions in Iraq know it all too well.

Had the shrapnel traveled an inch or two in a different direction, the attack may have been fatal. Fortunately, everyone in the convoy survived the attack. Sergeant Lelm received 40 stitches and some dental work.

Although Sergeant Lelm was awarded a Purple Heart in theater, he was formally given the medal by Col. Diane Hull, 319th Air Refueling Wing commander, during a wing-wide commander's call Nov. 9 at Grand Forks AFB.

Looking back, Sergeant Lelm admitted it was a scary moment.

"The first thing that went through my mind was possibly leaving a wife and kid behind," he said. "You try not to think about the 'What ifs?' but you can't stop it."

On that fateful day, he was the lead vehicle commander, meaning his vehicle was out in front of the convoy, scouting the way and ensuring everyone else made all the proper turns.

"We were driving along and I'd just gotten an instant message on our computer that other vehicles had been hit in a certain area around Baghdad," he said. "I looked up and saw something on the side of the road. I didn't even get to identify what it was -- it just went off."

Instincts and months of rigorous training kicked in immediately.

"Everybody did what they were trained to do," he said. "We got out of the kill zone (area where the attack happened) and I started self-aid buddy care on myself."

Although their vehicle was heavily damaged, it managed to get them away from the scene so the driver could provide first aid for Sergeant Lelm. He was taken to a nearby combat support hospital, where his neck wounds were cleaned and stitched.

Four hours later, he was on the road to another hospital for more definitive dental care.
Then the unthinkable happened, again. This time, the lead vehicle, which Sergeant Lelm was no longer riding in, was blasted a couple feet off the ground and suffered extensive brake line and tire damage.

Sergeant Lelm made it to the dental clinic, and eventually back home to his home state of North Dakota.

For Sergeant Lelm and the other four Airmen from 319th LRS who recently returned from the desert, stateside life is far different from life in Iraq.

"We traveled thousands upon thousands of miles over there, from Kuwait to Mosul and Kirkuk to Al Asad," said Sergeant Lelm, a vehicle operator and dispatcher here.

No longer having to contend with IEDs or small arms fire, he's content driving tractor trailers, buses and wreckers at Grand Forks AFB.

"I'm glad to be back home and in one piece," he continued. "People need to realize that 'Battlefield Airmen' is a reality."

Battlefield Airmen

With little or no fanfare, LRS Airmen are commonly performing line-haul convoy missions -- using armored tractor trailers to haul supplies to and from the front lines.

Like Sergeant Lelm, many other Airmen have had similar "ground-pounding" experiences in Iraq. Unlike past generations, where Airmen often didn't operate in ground operations rife with danger, today's Airmen are performing some of the most challenging and treacherous war missions.

"For more than two years, Airmen have been assisting the Army by performing convoy duties throughout the Middle East," said Maj. William Carpenter, 319th LRS commander. "They've logged millions of miles under some of the most extreme and grueling conditions. The mission our Airmen perform is critical to ensuring the logistics lifeline remains in tact to Soldiers in the field."

Before deploying for six months, LRS Airmen endure two months of physically and mentally demanding combat skills training, prepping them to operate side-by-side with their Army counterparts.

"A lot of people in the Army asked, 'The Air Force is running convoys in Iraq?'" Sergeant Lelm said. "We just said, 'Yep, we're just running right alongside you guys.' They appreciated the help."

Each convoy mission is a large operation in itself. In addition to extensive planning, each mission may last a few days to more than two weeks in length. The convoy may be two miles long and include about 50 people, so the stakes are high every time they roll out.

The threat of IEDs requires constant vigilance. Bombs are hidden in tires, garbage, animal carcasses or just buried along the road, Sergeant Lelm said.

"We know where the bad areas are, but you always have to be on your toes," he said. "Anywhere that you can think of, (insurgents) will put (IEDs) there."

Airmen and Soldiers rely on their training and each other to get through difficult times.

"You do the job that you've been trained to do," Sergeant Lelm said. "From all the kudos we got from the Army, I think we helped them a lot. The Army guys that we ran with said, 'We'll roll with you guys (Air Force) anytime.'"