The Air Force has awarded Bronze Stars to TSgt. Edward Moats and SSgt. Randy Saltzmann, both explosive ordnance disposal specialists assigned to Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. They earned the medals for their work while deployed to Southwest Asia. Moats handled more than 60 emergency response missions and oversaw the destruction of significant arms, from small ammunition to improvised explosive devices. Saltzmann received his award for action during an enemy engagement, during which he cleared the area of explosives to re-open a convoy route.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
