72nd SFS sergeant wins Air Force-level award

Published Jan. 22, 2009
By Brandice J. Armstrong
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., -- Ask him how he feels about winning the 2008 Col. Billy Jack Carter award. Master Sgt. Pete Way will squirm in an office chair, cough, fidget with his hands and say he doesn't know what to say or how to describe it. He may say he didn't want to be nominated.

But, by many accounts, the Security Installation superintendent for the 72nd Security Forces Squadron wasn't shy while facing imminent danger and ground attacks during his most recent Iraq deployment. In fact, those efforts led to the win of an Air Force-level award. He learned of the win Jan. 9. The awards ceremony is scheduled for April at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

"It took a while to sink in," Sergeant Way said. "I don't think I did anything out of the ordinary, nothing that anyone else wouldn't do."

The Col. Billy Jack Carter award is presented annually to an Airman who plays a pivotal role in protecting Air Force members, assets and resources. Sergeant Way said he won the award for his efforts while deployed in Iraq from September 2006 to December 2007.

Overseas, Sergeant Way was part of the Multi-National Corps, Iraq, Police Transition Team mission and oversaw 42 SFS members. His flight executed 455 missions and was caught in several improvised explosive device and direct-fire attacks. He aided injured personnel and supported an effort to better protect the unit's 45 high-mobile, multi-purpose wheeled vehicles from IEDs. He also scheduled upgrades to the unit's 39 electronic countermeasure systems, which offsets enemy radio activated IEDs.

Despite the impending danger, the sergeant said he volunteered for the deployment. "It's something I wanted to do," Sergeant Way said. "I'd been to Iraq a couple of times, but I thought this was really going to make a difference." And it did.

He caught the attention of Brig. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog, Director of Security Forces, and was recognized by his commander, Lt. Col. Lisette Childers, 72nd SFS commander. Additionally, he won the Bronze Star Medal and Air Force Combat Action Medal and is nominated for the Air Force Achievement Medal with Valor.

"These awards recognize the extraordinary contributions individuals have made to the U.S. Air Force and its mission to fly, fight and win ... in air, space and cyberspace," Brig. Gen. Hertog wrote in a recent memo to commanders. Colonel Childers agreed.

"We are incredibly fortunate to have personnel of the quality of Sergeant Way in our unit and our career field in general," the colonel said. "His award is a great reflection of the caliber of personnel we have in the entire unit. He represents the best qualities of all our 72nd SFS members and he is truly deserving of this honor."