A1C Christian Jackson  

On a cold night in December 2005, Airman 1st Class Christian Jackson’s convoy rolled through an Iraqi village carrying supplies to Balad Air Base. The 21-year-old Airman, deployed from Kirtland AFB, N.M., saw a muzzle flash and within moments, the night erupted with gun fire.

Earlier that night, Airman Jackson voluntarily traded his normal driving duties to be the gunner for the second gun truck, responsible for providing firepower and force protection for tractor-trailers hauling cargo. Driving was a fellow Airman, who coincidentally had attended high school with Airman Jackson in New York just a few short years before. Together, they and the other members of the convoy made their way through the village.

The first element of Airman Jackson’s convoy passed underneath an overpass when they were ambushed. Seeing tracer rounds and muzzle flashes to the left, the first truck sent up a red flare to alert the rest of the convoy they were under attack. A white flare followed to illuminate the area.

In response, Airman Jackson turned his turret and, in 40 seconds, unloaded 100 rounds from the .50 caliber weapon despite it jamming twice. When he ran out of ammunition, he used his M-4 rifle firing until the convoy was out of the kill zone. In the light of the following day, there were six confirmed enemy kills.

With only two years in the Air Force, Airman Jackson handled the pressure of the moment like a seasoned veteran. It wasn’t until after the incident was over that he realized the intensity of the danger. “At the time, I was just concerned about laying down fire to protect everyone in the convoy,” he said. The Airman remains close to many of the convoy members from that night, even though they returned to their separate bases. “The camaraderie there in Iraq was like nothing else.”