Master Sergeant Benjamin Horton
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Craftsman, 21st Civil Engineer Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado

In June 2010, Master Sergeant BENJAMIN HORTON deployed to Afghanistan as an explosive ordnance disposal team leader, where he faced challenges that tested both his EOD skills and his perseverance.

On his first mission, Sergeant Horton was working with a Marine unit in Helmand Province when multiple improvised explosive devices struck their convoy. Sergeant Horton braved the hazardous blast zone to help several injured Marines. He then cleared an area for a rescue helicopter to land and evacuate the Marines to safety.

During his second mission, another IED struck his team. The blast killed one Marine and injured both of Sergeant Horton’s EOD team members. Again Sergeant Horton braved the blast zone to recover the remains of the fallen Marine. Despite danger and physical trauma, Sergeant Horton worked tirelessly for four days, disarming nine IEDs and enabling recovery forces to reach his team.

On Sept. 22, Sergeant Horton joined a British High Reaction Force mission to recover weapons and conduct a blast analysis from an earlier incident. He entered a series of enemy-controlled compounds where he discovered five IEDs. While trying to navigate the booby-trapped area, he was called over by a teammate to verify a clear path into the next compound. Unknown to both men, they were standing on an IED.

Moments later, it exploded.

Sergeant Horton was thrown several feet. Temporarily blinded, deafened, and critically injured, Sergeant Horton remained calm until a team member was able to render first aid. He had multiple shrapnel wounds to the left side of his body, but he refused morphine. Instead he remained mission-focused, calling out safe paths to troops coming to help those wounded in the blast. With the help of his brothers-in-arms, he and his British teammate were evacuated and received medical treatment, and both survived.

For Sergeant Horton’s bravery and service in Afghanistan, he was awarded a Purple Heart and his fourth Bronze Star.