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Tinker Airman honored with room dedication at Tyndall

  • Published
  • By Darren D. Heusel
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Rare is the occasion when an Airman has a room named after him -- yet alone, while he's still alive and able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

But, that's precisely what transpired Sept. 5, when officials at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida dedicated a room at its NCO academy in honor of Staff Sgt. Daniel Boggs, a software developer and analyst for the 552nd Air Control Network Squadron at Tinker AFB.

Attending the ceremony along with Sergeant Boggs was his wife, Jennifer, his father and mother, David and Danuta, his brother, Scott, his uncle, Ralph, and his squadron superintendent, Chief Master Sgt. Daniel Mohr. Also attending were senior leaders and students of the NCO academy.

And, even though attendance for the ceremony "wasn't that great," according to Sergeant Boggs, it "was very tastefully done and you could tell there was a lot of work put into the creation of the classroom."

Ultimately, Sergeant Boggs said, the leadership at Tyndall decided to dedicate the room in his honor following his heroic actions while on deployment nearly two years ago in Afghanistan.

"It was a huge honor, from the selection to the actual ceremony," Sergeant Boggs said. "There are plenty of other Airmen who have done spectacular work and could have easily been the candidate selected for the dedication.

"I guess they thought what I did was out of the norm for a computer programmer, rushing to the front lines in my PT gear with only a pistol to defend myself against a clear and present danger."

Sergeant Boggs was attached to the Paktia Provincial Reconstruction Team as a communications specialist when Forward Operating Base Gardez came under attack about a week after the Afghan elections were held on Sept. 18, 2010, and for the first time in more than five years.

The Tinker Airman was having lunch in the dining facility while dressed in his PT gear and sought cover in a nearby bunker along with other service members.

They initially thought they were being attacked by rockets and mortars until they started taking small arms fire. As the situation progressed, Sergeant Boggs and a group of four Soldiers attempted to make their way to the direction of the enemy fire.

Armed with only a 9mm pistol and still dressed in his PTs, however, Sergeant Boggs was directed by an Army major to go back to his room, change clothes and grab his M-4.

Sergeant Boggs made his way to a fighting position near the perimeter of the base and began to return fire at insurgents hiding in a wooded area about 100-150 meters away.

The fight continued for some time but Sergeant Boggs said it was difficult to engage the enemy because they had dug defensive fighting positions along the edge of the tree line.

The fighting eventually was quelled when a U.S. Air Force F-15 came along as a show of force, effectively putting an end to the engagement.

Although no U.S. casualties resulted from the firefight, Sergeant Boggs said two Afghan National Army soldiers were wounded and six insurgents killed.

Sergeant Boggs credits his success in the engagement to the three months of training he received at an Army post prior to his deployment. But once the battle ensued, he said he relied mostly on instinct.

For his efforts in that engagement on Sept. 24, 2010, Sergeant Boggs was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal with Valor, the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Combat Action Badge.

"My feelings toward that event have always been that I was just doing what I thought to be the best course of action - to hold the line against the terrorists at all cost, no matter the number of attackers, or the number of rockets, mortars, bullets or vehicle borne improvised explosive devices," he said.

Sergeant Boggs went on to say there have been lots of brave men and women in harm's way and a walkthrough of the NCO academy highlighted to him just how much of an honor it was to have a room named after him.

"Being put on the same level as combat controllers who finished the fight with bullet holes and a collapsed lung, with a sergeant who is 100 percent disabled and still on active duty, or the Airmen who lost their lives protecting their fellow Airmen, is humbling," he said.

"I just can't stress enough how much of an honor it is."

The room at Tyndall dedicated to Sergeant Boggs is decorated with his last name in big, bold letters, various photos of him in and out of uniform, a shadow box with mementos from his deployment and large wooden carvings of his medals along with accompanying citations.

"The Airmen of the 552nd Air Control Wing are extremely proud that Staff Sergeant Boggs has been recognized for his outstanding service," said 552nd ACW Commander Col. Greg Guillot. "Having a room named in your honor at an NCO academy is a lasting tribute to his accomplishments.

"We are very proud of Sergeant Boggs and appreciate all he did to earn this award.