MSgt Douglas Moore, EOD 

After two deployments to Forward Operating Base Paliwoda, Master Sergeant Douglas Moore is no stranger to the hazardous streets of Iraq. His second deployment there took him on more than 350 missions outside the wire,” repeatedly into harm’s way, as he led an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) team clearing roads of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). “I was fine with returning to Paliwoda,” said Sergeant Moore, then a technical sergeant. "It was better than riding a desk somewhere else."

On January 11, 2007, Sergeant Moore and his EOD team in partnership with an Army Quick Reaction Force (QRF) headed to the scene of an IED “incident” on a road south of Ad Duliyah in Iraq’s Salah Ad Din Province. Reports indicated an IED was somewhere on the right shoulder of the northbound lane of the road.

As the EOD team was investigating, insurgents detonated the IED and attacked from well dug-in positions, some as close as 75 meters from the Airmen and Soldiers. Sergeant Moore secured the front portion of the convoy’s security perimeter and directed return fire against the insurgents while the QRF platoon leader secured the rear. The insurgents broke contact and fled.

Thanks to Sergeant Moore’s actions and courage under fire in defense of the convoy and his team, there were no friendly losses. He received a second Bronze Star Medal along with the Air Force Combat Action Medal for his actions at Paliwoda.