Staff Sergeant David Flowers
455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician

On May 11, 2009, while deployed to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team member Staff Sergeant David Flowers’ life changed forever, but his unfaltering commitment to service before self and to his fellow Airmen remained intact.

On that spring day, Sergeant Flowers’ team was assisting the Afghanistan National Police at a weapons cache site by securing and disposing of the contents of the cache and other ordnance in the area. During Sergeant Flowers’ initial sweep for unexploded ordnance at the site, he stepped on an anti-personnel mine. The ensuing blast caused him to lose his right leg below the knee and completely shattered his left leg. Despite the violent explosion that left him severely wounded, Sergeant Flowers did not stop performing his duties. On the contrary, Sergeant Flowers fell back into the blast hole to prevent other land mines from exploding, effectively saving the rest of his team from suffering similar injuries.

Thanks to the assistance of the brave men and women of his EOD team and the emergency evacuation personnel, Sergeant Flowers was safely returned to Bagram Airfield, where he underwent his first of many surgeries. Just thirteen months after the incident, Sergeant Flowers now walks with the assistance of a prosthetic leg and a cane and continues to look hopefully towards the future.

For his actions, Sergeant Flowers was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart Medal, and his second Combat Action Medal.