Security Forces Airman Awarded Airman’s Medal

Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh presented SSgt. Edward Grant, a member of the 902nd Security Forces Squadron at JBSA-Randolph, Tex., with the Airman’s Medal for his heroism during a fuel storage tank explosion at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, last year. “This is about somebody choosing to put himself in danger to save a life,” said Welsh during the Sept. 12 award ceremony. On Nov. 21, 2012, Grant sprang into action after the tank exploded on base, according to Randolph’s Sept. 13 release. He entered a compound near the explosion and began to evacuate personnel. He then saw a group of civilians trapped by fire along an internal fence line. Working with several others, he helped pry open the fence to enable the civilians’ escape. He then saw more trapped civilians and led them to safety through the smoke, fire, and ancillary explosions, states the release. In all, Grant and his team liberated 35 people. “I don’t feel like I did anything extraordinary,” Grant said. “I was just being human. I saw people who needed help.” Welsh also pinned technical sergeant stripes on Grant after the medal ceremony. (Randolph report by Alex Salinas)