Vance commander receives Bronze Star

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Agneta Murnan
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Lt. Col. Daryl Cunningham, 71st Mission Support Group deputy commander, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal Wednesday in a ceremony that took place during the 71st Flying Training Wing commander's call in Hanger 170 here.

Colonel Cunningham received the award in recognition of his service and achievements during his command of the 586th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron of the 586th Air Expeditionary Group and 386th Air Expeditionary Wing while engaged in ground combat at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, from April 2 to Sept. 27.

"Our Air Force has changed; the operational demands of combat today have required the dedication, leadership and performance of all of our expeditionary warriors. Lt. Col. Cunningham has exemplified these qualities in his service in theater," 71st Flying Training Wing Commander Col. Richard Klumpp Jr. said.

According to the citation, Colonel Cunningham led 370 personnel in the successful execution of 250 combat line-haul convoys, traveling over one million miles while enduring 52 improvised explosive devices, small arms and indirect fire attacks to deliver more than 60,000 short-tons of cargo to forward operating bases in theater.

The citation recognized Colonel Cunningham's planning and supervision of a convey staging and assembly area in Kuwait, which generated more than 700 convoys that transported more than 30,000 vehicles and 423 short-tons of cargo.

Distinguished was Colonel Cunningham's management of the movement of 130,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen into and out of the Operation Iraqi Freedom theater of operations and the reduction of operational risk to his Airmen by securing $734,000 of improvements to combat vehicles and personal protective equipment.

During his command, Colonel Cunningham guided his unit through the combat death of one Airman and the wounding of two others, without any degradation to performance or loss of motivation.

"It is a great honor and I accept the medal on behalf of my squadron and the Airmen I worked with... they're my heroes. The 586th ELRS Airmen are truly awe-inspiring and it was a privilege for me to be their squadron commander," Colonel Cunningham said.