HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- With family and friends in attendance, Senior Master Sgt. Edward Lewis was awarded the Bronze Star Medal during a ceremony here on July 10, 2022, for his meritorious achievements during a deployment last year.
Between April and October of 2021, Lewis served as the Superintendent of the Aerial Port Flight, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing at Erbil International Airport in Iraq.
Exemplary leadership, devotion to duty, and skilled expertise are only a few ways to describe his actions while deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
While exposed to imminent danger from 57 unmanned aerial threats, he successfully led 42 Airmen and civilians in the execution of all aerial port operations with a one-hundred percent on-time take-off rate. His team was able to flawlessly move over 12,000 passengers and 8,000 tons of cargo over 1,700 combat missions to sustain nine coalition force partners.
Lewis oversaw 11facilities, 71 repairs, and six major base enhancement projects to ensure an uninterrupted execution of the mission. His efforts successfully bolstered security and stability within the Kurdistan region of Iraq and empowered the Peshmerga Forces to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Dating back to WWII, the Bronze Star Medal is the fourth highest ranking award a service member can receive, recognizing heroic acts and meritorious achievements during armed conflict against enemies of the United States.