86th SFS team receives accolades for AOR service

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Alexandria Mosness
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  The 86th Security Forces Squadron recently welcomed home a 13-person squad who served as a Protective Service Detail for the NATO training mission at Camp Eggers, Afghanistan.

The team, led by Master Sgt. Jason Heilman, 86th SFS member, received 13 various decorations while providing personal protection for senior military members.

"We were tasked to provide personal protection to the American general officers assigned to the Combined Security Transition Command," Sergeant Heilman said. "Each member of the team was selected by unit leadership to deploy in support of this tasking. This is a unique opportunity for security forces members, and is in most cases a once- in-a-career opportunity. Normally, we are tasked to provide force protection for installations and assets within the Area of Responsibility."

Master Sergeant Heilman's 13-person squad was the first 86th SFS team to be chosen for this particular mission, said Lt. Col. Seth Frank, 86th SFS commander.

Although this was the first type of tasking, this did not stop the team from performing their best.

"We are extremely proud of how Sergeant Heilman's team represented the 86th SFS and Team Ramstein," the colonel said. "We are even happier to have them return home safely. All team members performed at an exceptional level in a high-threat environment."

Not only did they perform well, but they were rewarded for their contribution down range. The team was awarded five Bronze Star medals, six Joint Service Commendation medals and two Joint Service Achievement Medals, Colonel Frank said.

"They clearly demonstrated U.S. Air Force security forces Airmen can contribute to the Joint fight in Afghanistan," the commander added. "Sergeant Heilman and his team performed in an extraordinary manner and impressed their joint leadership with their dedication and ability to perform Protection Service Detail operations for general officers in a combat zone."

Guarding America's highest leaders comes with a lot of pressure, and the 86th SFS deployers handled it with ease.

"My entire team will attest to the fact that having the huge responsibility to protect the U.S. military senior leaders is an experience we will never forget," Sergeant Heilman said. "On a daily basis, we provided the generals with secure transportation, in armored SUVs, outside the wire to meet with high-level Afghan officials."

Without these meetings, the generals would not be able to do their job, Sergeant Heilman added.

"These meetings were crucial to building and training the Afghan Security Forces," he added. "Due to the nature of conversation within the trucks, each member of my team had to be mature and understand what was said in the trucks was not to leave the truck. Having the general officers' trust was a very important part of what my team did. The generals had to be comfortable with their security detail or they could not focus on their task at hand."

And, protecting the generals was not always the safest task.

"While deployed, we witnessed Suicide Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive devices Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices and shoot-outs," said Sergeant Heilman. "It was our responsibility to know and understand the daily intel to avoid these situations."

These close experience also made the members think of the bigger picture of life.

"My most memorable experience was feeling the vibration of a SVBIED that targeted an Afghan Official, he said. "The screams and of the Afghan people that were affected by the explosive will remain with me forever and really puts life into perspective. You have to understand how precious life is and enjoy every minute of it."

To get through those hard times during the deployment, the members turned to each other.

"Our team grew very tight over the past seven months," Sergeant Heilman said. "We lived together, worked together, played together, but most importantly we protected each other. It was truly an honor for me to serve with each and every member of my team. They each understood the importance of our mission and successfully completed each mission with desire and a motivation that was truly remarkable. I would gladly deploy again with each and every member of my Protective Service Detail."