Just another day at the office, honey, honest!
When an American convoy in southern Afghanistan suddenly came under small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire, Sergeant Dean immediately made contact with a flight of two US Air Force, F-15 Strike Eagle aircraft overhead. After the planes made their first strafing run, Sergeant Dean announced calmly over the radio that he’d been shot by insurgents in the stomach below his body armor. Despite his injury, Sergeant Dean continued to direct the aircraft, calling for battle damage assessments and additional strikes against the attacking insurgents. His parting words over the radio as the MEDEVAC helicopter came in were “make sure my guys get out of here.”
This is an odd war (well, since WWII), where the Air Force enlisted airmen have been suffering as many, and probably more, casualties than the officers who fly the aircraft.
And TSGT Dean is an outstanding exemplar of his service.
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