Special agent proves Airmen are 'in the fight'

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chris Vadnais
  • Air Force News Agency
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) --  A special agent assigned to the Office of Special Investigations detachment here recently received the Bronze Star with Valor for his heroism in Iraq.

Special Agent Greg Carmack saved the lives of several individuals near Kirkuk, Iraq, June 14, 2006, when he went one-on-one with a suicide bomber, countering the notion that the Air Force isn't 'in the fight' downrange.

En route to capture a high-value suspect near Kirkuk, Agent Carmack's OSI convoy stopped to discuss mission details with their Army support team. As three agents gathered outside of their vehicles, a shot rang out. A small white truck plowed over an Iraqi policeman and continued toward the American military vehicles.

"When that happened I instinctively knew what it was," said Agent Carmack. "I knew that it was definitely danger to us, that it was most likely a suicide bomber."

Almost automatically, Agent Carmack raised his weapon and began firing. Several shots later, the truck smashed into one of the two Army hum-vees in front of the OSI convoy. Its ordnance did not explode. The entire event was over in thirty-six seconds, he said.

In those thirty-six seconds, Agent Carmack made a decision and acted in a way that would save his life and those of several others: Explosive ordnance disposal teams found two 130-millimeter shells rigged up on the passenger side of the vehicle. For his decisive actions, Agent Carmack was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor.

"If I go downrange and I'm on the front line again, Greg is definitely one of those people I would love to serve with," said Special Agent Forrest Williams, the Office of Special Investigations Det. 601commander at Hickam Air Force Base.

"Those of us who have served in Iraq, we know it's a different culture; it's a different type of war," said Agent Williams. "And when you're faced with hostile threat 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you want to make sure your team members will do what they have to do to save your life, because you're going to do the same for them."

Deployed Airmen hear it all the time from Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, 'The Air Force isn't doing as much as others are; the Air Force plays more of a support role, not venturing "outside the wire,"' that's just not true anymore, Agent Carmack said.

"Ten, fifteen years ago, it would be uncommon for blue-suiters to be outside the wire doing the things that we do. OSI, explosive ordinance specialist, security forces, convoy members and personnel assigned to weapons intelligence teams, those are the people that are outside the wire all day, every day, on a regular basis," he said.

"Being outside the wire is starting to become the norm for the Air Force," Agent Carmack said.

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