Airman's achievements downrange lead to recognition

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman William A. O'Brien
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  An 18-year security forces veteran received a Bronze Star Medal during a ceremony July 28 in the Mission Support Group conference room here for his performance as the commander of the 532nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

Lt. Col. Brint Woodruff, the 39th Security Forces Squadron commander, led approximately 650 Airmen and contract security forces in daily ground combat operations as part of the largest security forces group to defend an air base since the Vietnam conflict.

"I am honored and a little humbled to receive the Bronze Star," said Woodruff. "After 18 years of service, I was finally able to serve in Iraq and help out there."

Woodruff was honored for his actions as commander of a squadron responsible for securing three of the largest entry control points in Iraq during a recent deployment.

Under his guidance, his squadron increased counter-indirect fire patrols by 25 percent. Through their efforts, they were able to deny insurgents tactical ground to launch indirect fire attacks against Balad, which resulted in a 12 percent decrease in the number of attacks the base sustained.

"This award is not really about my accomplishments," he said. "It's about the young Airmen and Soldiers who were putting their necks on the line every day going outside the wire, just being in that environment defending their post while avoiding the indirect fire that Balad continues to take."

Some of Woodruff's past deployments include Saudi Arabia, Turkey and multiple trips to Kuwait. He said his most recent deployment to Iraq was most memorable because of the mission he was responsible for while there.

"Doing outside-the-wire missions is a unique opportunity, or at least what I felt was an opportunity, which made it quite different," he said.

Woodruff became the 39th SFS commander during a change-of-command ceremony July 18, 2011.