Reservist earns medals for combat in Afghanistan

Published Aug. 8, 2010
By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- A 512th Airlift Wing reservist received the Bronze Star and the Air Force Combat Action Medal during a ceremony Aug. 7 in the base theater.

Tech. Sgt. Stephen J. Kaufman, a 512th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight team leader, earned the medals while serving with the 755th Bravo EOD Flight at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, supporting Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

The Bronze Star Medal is the fourth-highest U.S. Armed Forces combat award and is given for acts of bravery or meritorious service. The Air Force Combat Action Medal recognizes Airmen involved in direct fighting situations, risking their lives in an enemy engagement. Sergeant Kaufman is only the second reservist in Air Force Reserve Command's 512th AW to earn this honor.

"I'm proud to present these honors to Sergeant Kaufman," said Col. Randal L. Bright, 512th AW commander. "He took direct, hostile fire daily while contributing to the war effort.

"Under these harsh conditions, he assisted with the destruction of 108 unexploded ordnance items and clearance of almost 7,000 miles of treacherous roadway."

From September 2009 to March 2010, Sergeant Kaufman provided explosive ordnance support to the United Kingdom, Danish and Estonian forces in Afghanistan. He took part in many operations; however, he said he would never forget Operation Dark Rest.

In February, he was supporting the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, elite, 100-man British unit in the United Kingdom's Royal Marines. The BRF task was to kill or capture Taliban in central Helmand.

During a mission Feb. 26, Sergeant Kaufman and his EOD team were on patrol when his friend, BRF Sgt. Paul Fox, stepped on an improvised explosive device. The 35-year-old Royal Marine was killed instantly.

Although severely shaken by the loss of his friend, Sergeant Kaufman kept his focus.

"When you watch your best friend get blown up ... you just make sure the job gets done so nobody else dies," he said.

After ensuring his three-man EOD team was free of injuries, Sergeant Kaufman and his men searched the area for more mines, clearing the site for a helicopter to extract Sergeant Fox.

After the helicopter arrived and took off, the unit came under small arms fire. The EOD technicians took position, suppressed fire and covered the flanks of the British elite forces. Sporadic gunfire continued four hours before the BRF overcame the enemy and took out a Taliban commander.

That night, four Taliban were spotted replacing the IEDs where Sergeant Fox had been killed. Sergeant Kaufman and his team accompanied the BRF. They followed the Taliban to their compound where the BRF captured one and killed six members of the IED cell responsible for laying the mine that took Sergeant Fox's life. Returning from the strike, Sergeant Kaufman and his crew cleared the two IED placed by the insurgents.

"It was a catastrophic loss," said Sergeant Kaufman, referring to his friend's death. "(Sergeant Fox) was a combat engineer, so his loss impacted the unit's ability to operate.

"We took it right back to the Taliban," he said. "It was immediate retribution."