Bronze Star awarded to B-1 weapons systems officer

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Elizabeth Campanile
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  How does a six-year-old who is dying to fly not only make his childhood dream come true but also earn one of the highest honors in the military?

Captain Michael Arnold, the 9th Bomb Squadron B-1 weapons systems officer was still trying to figure that out after the ceremony where he accepted his Bronze Star medal Jan. 27.

Captain Arnold received his award from Congressman Randy Neugebauer, Texas’s 19th District representative, amid a standing-room-only Bat’s auditorium filled with family and friends, base leadership, and co-workers.

Captain Arnold served as the commander of the Joint Airspace Control Element, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan from June 11, 2004, to Nov. 15, 2004.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Captain Arnold said. “There are times when it all seems so surreal and times when I take a few seconds to think about it and I feel truly blessed to actually get to do the one thing I’ve always wanted to do as a kid and to know that I am making a difference.”

“We’re all proud of you and all of those who stand up for this flag and for America,” Congressman Naugebauer said after he pinned on Captain Arnold’s Medal. “We have the finest force America has ever presented.”

The Bronze Star medal, which requires nothing less than above-and-beyond commitment and achievement, signifies Captain Arnold’s strong leadership and communication skills as well as his ability to foster the concept of true teamwork, said Lt. Col. Robert Maness, 9th Bomb Squadron commander.

“Captain Arnold is an effective leader in every environment he’s put in, in any kind of situation. He’s also an effective mentor to the people working below him, his peers, and his superiors,” Colonel Maness said.

Among Captain Arnold’s long list of accomplishments for the five-month deployment, the WSO-by-trade was hand-picked to serve as the commander of the JACE/CJSOTF-A. His responsibilities, he said, were similar to an Air Liaison Officer’s job, but he had more authority and autonomy, which he used in order to lead 35 all-services Joint Tactical Air Controllers on the ground.

He led and supported more than 2,000 personnel from six different countries, including his own JACE, the Air Force component; the 3rd Special Forces (Airborne) of Ft. Bragg; two Navy SEAL teams; two British Special Air Service teams; and French, Czech Republic, Jordanian and United Arab Emirates Special Operations Units.

Captain Arnold also coordinated more than 350 pre-planned and 150 on-the-spot air support requests for close air support for troops on the ground.

One of the most visible political effects Captain Arnold and his teams had during his deployment in Afghanistan was planning and executing air presence support missions during the Afghani elections.

“I came away with a great appreciation for both the democratic process and the Afghanis’ dedication to their freedom. People lined up starting in the early morning and left their villages the night before to walk 20-plus “klicks” (kilometers) through the first major winter storm that season,” Captain Arnold said. “I’m happy to have done my part, and I hope that what we did might forever change that section of the planet for the better.”

Amidst all of Captain Arnold’s accomplishments, he attributes every accomplishment to the hard work of his team.

“So many of my troopers did so much more and only a few were recognized like I was,” he said.

Captain Arnold’s sense of teamwork is what Colonel Maness, who received a Bronze Star last year for making B-1 history by serving as the first B-1 pilot to have commanded operations at two forward-deployed locations, says really makes the 9th BS an outstanding unit.

“We’re a small part of one big team,” he said. “Individual awards are a surface feature of a really big team that works together very well. We work on team concepts daily, and awards of this sort are individual signs that our team can go out and execute its mission. It’s a compliment on Captain Arnold, the 9th BS and the Air Force as a whole.”

Above all of those whom Captain Arnold credits for his success, though, is his family.

“I was shocked at first when he told us he was deploying, but we’re so proud of him,” said Michael Arnold, Captain Arnold’s father, who took the drive with his wife, RoseAnn, and son, Jeff, from their hometown, Durant, Okla., to see the ceremony.

“My role model has always been my dad, who stressed being first in line when it came time for the ‘heavy lifting,’” Captain Arnold said. “I feel that everything I do well is a direct reflection on how my folks raised me.”

Captain Arnold showed a sign of his appreciation of his family months before the ceremony, shortly after he returned home from deployment, when he gave his father his Bronze Star as a gift for Christmas.

“Since I was honored, I wanted to honor my family,” Captain Arnold said. “I wanted to give some honor to the people I felt really deserved it.”

Captain Arnold said he plans “to get back to the B-1 and increase my skill set to allow me to be an important asset to the 9th BS and the 7th Bomb Wing.” He said he also hopes to get deployed again soon, which will allow him to continue the fight.