2 captains receive BSMs for deployments with Army

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Two 9th Bomb Squadron weapons systems officers received Bronze Star Medals in a ceremony here July 31 for their service as air liaison officers while deployed with Army units in Iraq. 

As the No. 1 "go-to" Air Force officers in each of their units, Capts. Edward Rivera and Jason Register were responsible for communicating with joint terminal attack controllers and troops on the ground and ultimately coordinating close air support for them. 

"These two individuals are so outstanding that a Bronze Star Medal is [almost] a minor award to give them," said Col. Donald Tharp, 3rd Air Support Operations Group commander, who presented the men with the BSMs. "They are a perfect example of the caliber and quality of today's Airmen, who stand up to today's mission and take the fight to the enemy - and are happy to do it." 

As the officers in charge of employing CAS to support ground troops in contact with the enemy, both men were able to develop close working relationships with Soldiers and Marines. 

"The team concept is vital," Captain Register said. "If you're not totally integrated as a team, bad things happen. We had a great relationship; the Gray Wolf Brigade is a bunch of outstanding warriors." 

Both men reacted humbly to the medals, saying their deployments were eye-opening and that they were "just doing [their jobs] to help their brothers and sisters in arms." 

"The only reason I wear this Bronze Star is because the noncommissioned officers and Airmen [who were in the field with me] did an outstanding job," Captain Rivera said. "They were at the 'point end' of the spear - closest to the front line ... with a direct effect on the mission." 

The airpower overhead combined with the tactical troops on the ground has an effect that's "almost immeasurable," Captain Register said. 

"Seeing bombs drop takes my breath away," he said. "It's air power in the ultimate, purest form; it changes the course of an entire event; it's essentially having the final say." 

One memorable "air power" moment for him was watching 2,000-pound bombs drop in a canal system in which the enemy was entrenched. U.S. forces had some detainees in custody for questioning, and as soon as they saw the bombs go off the detainees started "spitting information," Captain Register said. 

"One man ran to the canal, jumped in, and swam to the bottom, where [he revealed to us] a huge weapons cache," he said. "They basically said, 'We don't want anything to do with fighting you.'" 

It brings a sense of pride to know there's one less "bad guy" and one less weapon for them to use against the Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines out there, both men agreed. 

Capt. Carrie Register, Jason's wife, is also a Dyess WSO and has also been deployed with the Army as an ALO. Now expecting their second child any day, she said she not only understands the strenuousness of the mission there and everything that went into earning him the Bronze Star. 

"I'm so proud of him," she said at the ceremony. "He is absolutely amazing, and I wouldn't have missed this for the world."