Maintenance Group commander receives second BSM

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  • By 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The 7th Maintenance Group commander was awarded a Bronze Star Medal, First Oak Leaf Cluster, in a ceremony at the Hangar Center Aug. 27 for meritorious service in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. 

This was Col. James Milburn's second Bronze Star Medal in his 28-year career. 

"If you ever need a boost, I recommend you present a Bronze Star Medal to an extraordinary officer," said Col. Robert Gass, 7th Bomb Wing commander, who officiated the ceremony. "What does it take to get a Bronze Star these days - or a second for Colonel Milburn? It takes leading and inspiring a team of Airmen on one of the major operating bases in the Persian Gulf that delivers key amounts of air refueling ... throughout Iraq and Afghanistan." 

While deployed, Colonel Milburn served as the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group commander in Southwest Asia. As part of his duties, the colonel oversaw all maintenance for five different types of aircraft in the Air Force's largest air refueling, battle management, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance wing in Southwest Asia. 

There wasn't a minute in the day where they didn't have something airborne, Colonel Milburn said. To keep up with that tempo for 365 days was "tough," but he said there were a lot of young Airmen out there doing their best, and "all you had to do to keep them motivated was give them up-to-date information and feedback on the lives that were saved and impacted on the ground" and they were ready to keep getting up and doing the same phenomenal work each and every day. 

"When it comes down to recognition ... it's really a reflection of what the people working under [me] have done," the colonel said. "It was amazing to be there for a year and see literally thousands of people come in and be able to deliver 'home run' hits each and every day." 

Colonel Milburn's efforts drove historical records in sorties flown and mission capable rates for KC-10, KC-135, E-3, RQ-4 and U-2 aircraft. He directed changes in procedures that resulted in a staggering 99 percent mission effectiveness rate across the wing's complex weapons systems in a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-per-week combat environment. In addition, he directly contributed to the successful execution of more than 4,300 KC-10 and KC-135 combat air refueling missions, offloading 325 million pounds of fuel to more than 24,000 coalition aircraft. 

"The experience Colonel Milburn gained in the AOR, he is going to apply right here at Dyess," Colonel Gass said. "[He performed] outstanding work in a relentless operation. It's not only a 24-hours-a-day, seven days-a-week operation; it's relentless, unwavering, lethal air power."