Senior Master Sergeant Gregory Williams 

Senior Master Sgt. Gregory Williams is the leader you want at the front of your flight. Whether preparing a unit for the fight through grueling training or taking charge in the midst of a war zone, Sergeant Williams’ bold leadership and unwavering focus saved lives during a six-month combat tour in 2005. During his deployment, Sergeant Williams led 113 Security Forces Airmen in defense of Iraq’s busiest airfield. His airfield and team would come under more than 85 rocket and mortar attacks during his tour, but none could shake the resolve of this Security Forces veteran.

During one summer attack, Sergeant Williams raced through a 10-round mortar barrage on the installation and compound to aid injured personnel. Their injuries were incapacitating. While mortar fire rained down around him, he administered first aid to two victims until medical help arrived. Sergeant Williams rushed back to the center of attack, where he located two impact points and found a wounded soldier suffering serious internal injuries. Sergeant Williams kept the soldier calm and immobilized to prevent further injury. Medical staff credited him with a life-saving effort. During the hour-long attack, he called in points of impact, checked for impact damage, accounted for personnel and administered first aid. He ran to locations and took charge of situations, providing leadership in a crisis.

The attack did not thwart his continued drive to take the fight to the enemy. During his deployment, Sergeant Williams orchestrated more than 50 combat patrols into hostile territory, resulting in the arrests of 10 insurgents and seizure of hundreds of mortars and thousands of anti-aircraft rounds.

Sergeant Williams’ dedication took him back to Iraq on a 365-day tour where he used his combat experience to train and conduct patrols with the Iraqi Police in downtown urban environments. His students can be sure they learned from the one of the best.