Wednesday Hero: Tech. Sgt. Shawn D. Foust

This week's Wednesday Hero is Tech. Sgt. Shawn D. Foust, a man who has been to Iraq for two tours so far. He has earned the Bronze Star on this tour for his bravery and composure during an ambush on his convoys. Please read about him below.

Technical Sergeant Shawn D. Foust.

Technical Sergeant Shawn Foust responded to the military’s need to lessen the strain on the country’s traditional ground forces, putting the Tech Sergeant in command of a medium truck detachment from April to October of 2007 in Iraq. TSgt. Foust’s leadership throughout two attacks on his convoy earned him the Bronze Star.

Confronting the challenges presented by the unconventional war in Iraq, Air Force Technical Sergeant Shawn Foust was assigned to Joint Logistic Task Force 1144, becoming a Convoy Commander for the 424th Medium Truck Detachment. In 212 missions during his second tour of duty, Foust encountered various obstacles and challenges while amassing over 507,000 cumulative miles on the dangerous roads of Iraq.

Convoy mission 57-459 would present the greatest challenge, earning Foust praise for his ability to overcome such a daunting task. As his convoy was approaching Forward Operating Base Al Asad, a roadside bomb detonated, wounding the driver and passenger of the third truck, and leaving the vehicle partially disabled. A possible full-scale ambush was upon them as scattered mortar and small arms fire landed on their position. The intermittent insurgent fire raised the threat level for the entire convey and Foust knew he had to remain calm and professional. He immediately moved the convoy past the kill zone and went back for the wounded men.

Foust organized his Airmen into a defensive posture, and prepared to repair the damaged truck. Working tirelessly and on constant guard for six hours, throughout the night, Foust and his fifteen man squad replaced each of the damaged 250 pound tires until the vehicle was operational. Foust successfully completed this mission all those before and all those that followed.

In the six months he spent in Iraq, he exhibited a sense of service, devotion to duty, and commitment to the overall success of his unit that went above and beyond what was expected, earning him the Bronze Star Medal for exceptionally meritorious service.

To learn more about this brave man, here is some information:

Hometown: Gowonda, NY
Awarded: Bronze Star
Download this hero's story: Right click and "Save Target As..." to download.

We Should Not Only Mourn
These Men And Women
Who Died
We Should Also Thank God
That Such People Lived.

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