388th FW chief earns Bronze Star

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  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Haire, 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron maintenance superintendent, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal by Col. Lance Landrum, 388th Fighter Wing commander, during the wing's monthly award and promotion ceremony Jan. 31.

Award citation excerpt:

Haire received the Bronze Star Medal for integrating the efforts of a rotational force of 570 total force Airmen into a cohesive, combat ready maintenance team ensuring seamless combat operations while serving superintendent, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron, 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, while engaged in ground operations against the enemy from April 12, 2012 to Oct.18, 2012.

Additionally, his immediate response during 22 indirect fire rocket attacks ensured the rapid resumption of airfield operations and relentless close air support for coalition forces.

Moreover, he expedited structural repairs on four different type of aircraft damaged by rocket and small arms fire, returning each to the fight in less than 72 hours.

Furthermore, he maximized aircraft protection against ground attacks by developing the theaters first flight line defensive fire position program, hailed as the command standard by the Combined Forces Air Component commander.

Haire personally maximized aircraft availability, culminating in 16,550 combat sorties and 54,401 flight hours without a single missed air tasking order mission. He directly enabled over 260 life saving personnel recoveries, 340 insurgents captured and 210 weapons caches destroyed.

Ultimately, Haire's stalwart efforts guaranteed the protection of ground forces during 1,025 troops in contact engagements through employment of 654 bombs and 173,324 rounds of ammunition on insurgent forces while under constant threat of enemy attack.