Joint deployment earns NCO Bronze Star

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Leticia Hopkins
  • 347th Rescue Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The Army awarded a 347th Civil Engineer Squadron NCO the Army Bronze Star recently for his efforts in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

Tech. Sgt. Rik van de Pol, 347th CES NCO in-charge of Explosive Ordnance Disposal, was deployed alongside the Army at Forward Operating Base Caldwell, Iraq, from September 2005 to March 2006. 

"My first reaction was, it's good individual recognition," said Sergeant van de Pol about receiving the award. "But I couldn't have done it (without my team). 

"It was a team award because we did everything together," added the California native. 

While deployed to FOB Caldwell, Sergeant van de Pol was the team leader in a four-person team. The team was later broken into two teams. The two teams included his partner, Senior Airman Christin Merriweather, 347th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD journeyman, and two other Airmen from Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. 

"I think (the Army) recognized him as a strong leader and as willing to sacrifice his home life to do one of the more dangerous jobs in the Air Force," said Airman Merriweather, who also earned an Army Commendation Medal for her support during the deployment. 
"He was the leader, and in the end it was his responsibility to take care of everybody that was there. He did just that." 

As an EOD leader, his duties included identifying, assessing and disposing of improvised explosive devices, caches and unexploded ordnances, and capturing enemy ammunition missions. His team was credited with properly disposing 92 IEDs and 42 UXOs along with conducting 18 cache search and destroy missions, which led to 5,879 munitions items being located and destroyed. 

But most importantly, Sergeant van de Pol had to make sure his team members and Army comrades made it home safely. 

"He's great as a team chief because he got me home safely," said Airman Merriweather. "He's very honest and straight-forward, (which is good) because there's no room for error. 

"He says what he means," she added. "Especially, when we were working together in Iraq. He listens very well and takes into account what his team members have to say. (It helped the mission) because we were able to communicate very well." 

During a re-supply run to Balad Air Base, Iraq, Sergeant van de Pol and Airman Merriweather's battlefield skills were tested later earning them both combat action badges for their response to the emergency situation. 

"(The) first (incident) was a vehicle-born IED," said the sergeant. "It blew up right in front of us. It shredded the back of the convoy commander's truck and disabled it. The convoy started receiving fire. 

"(Airman Merriweather) was driving, and she was able to get us through the kill zone and then behind the disabled vehicle," he said. "I got out and made sure the area was safe and checked for any medical (problems). Luckily everybody inside the shell was only shook up and smoked out. Some how, we went through the fireball without a scratch." 

The quick response and mission success came from the training the team received for the deployment, said Sergeant van de Pol. 

"Those battle drills helped and I immediately got into the mindset to check for medical (problems) and make sure everyone was OK," said the sergeant. 

Sergeant van de Pol fully supports the training he and his Airmen received because they were able to use those skills to safely accomplish the mission 

"Training helps keep safety present," said Sergeant van de Pol. "I don't take risks as a team leader without full consideration of what I'm doing." 

And it's the training and mission success that makes the job rewarding, said Sergeant van de Pol. 

"(My family has) thought I've been nuts since I joined EOD 10 years ago," he said. "I love (EOD). I couldn't imagine doing (anything) else."