Senior Airman Antonio Antunez: Security Response Team Leader 

Senior Airman, then-Airman First Class, Antonio Antunez deployed to southern Iraq during the winter of 2008, to assist with the transfer of detainees. As part of his duties, two hours before each transfer, he conducted sweeps for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that could disrupt the transfers.

Airman Antunez’s team was performing such a sweep when they heard an explosion in the distance. Shortly after passing a deserted Iraqi checkpoint, their HMMWV was hit, a victim of an ambush. The vehicle was on fire, causing .50-caliber machine gun rounds to explode with deafening noise, all around him. The driver and passenger escaped out the front doors, but Airman Antunez and an interpreter remained inside. He pleaded for the interpreter to leave the burning vehicle, but the interpreter was frozen with fear. Quickly realizing the situation, Airman Antunez reached across the burning vehicle, opened the door, and kicked the interpreter out. The door slammed shut before he could follow.

As he made his way out of the vehicle through the gun turret, insurgents opened fire with small arms. Airman Antunez didn’t want to fire back with the .50-caliber for fear of striking civilians. Instead, he grabbed his M-4 rifle and shot toward the tracers as he jumped off the top of the HMMWV. Once on the ground, Airman Antunez took command, assembled his team and held position so he could assess the situation. While securing the area, the other convoy vehicles rammed the burning vehicle out of the kill zone and recovered the team.

For his brave actions, Airman Antunez was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor.