CJCS presents Purple Heart to Ramstein Airman

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Markus M. Maier
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey presented a Purple Heart medal to a Ramstein Airman at a town hall meeting Dec. 19 during the chairman's visit here.

The general presented the oldest and highest honor given to service members for wounds received in combat to Tech. Sgt. Richard Chwalik for injuries sustained as a result of an explosion during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2009.

"You've earned this award," Dempsey said. "We are proud for what you have done and this group right here simply wants to say thank you. God bless you, and thanks for your service and your continuing effort to heal. "

Chwalik, currently a command equipment manager for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Headquarters A4 Division, was deployed to Kabul Afghanistan in 2009 where he served as senior logistics advisor on a police mentoring team.

He, along with his team, had just arrived at the Kabul Police Headquarters compound Oct. 9 at approximately 8:30 a.m., when a sports utility vehicle loaded with approximately 500 pounds of explosives detonated in front of the Republic of India Embassy, located in their immediate vicinity. The attack killed 17 people and injured more than 60.

"We had just arrived when the blast happened," Chwalik said. "We immediately took a defensive posture. It was a hell of a blast. Probably the strongest force I've ever felt."

Chwalik thought he was fine since he didn't have any obvious wounds. It wasn't until his return home that he started paying attention to the reoccurring headaches, ringing in his ears and memory loss.

Eventually people close to him encouraged him to seek medical attention, which eventually led to him being diagnosed with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

"Things happen for a reason," Chwalik said. "TBI awareness in the military is still a new thing. There is a reason this happened to me. Maybe it's so I can help increase awareness about this."

Chawlik also added that this does not deter him from his Air Force career. He is scheduled to deploy again next year and hopes to eventually become a command chief master sergeant.