Salute to the Air Commando Family: Being thankful for faith, hope and love
(Ft. Walton Beach, FL. Nov. 20) -- More than 500 guests of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation recently came together for the 5th Annual Salute to the Air Commando Family dinner in Fort Walton Beach, near the headquarters for Air Force Special Operations.
The room was filled with military personnel, active and retired, civic leaders, family members of fallen warriors, and dynamic speakers, including former Commander, U. S. Special Operations Command, retired Air Force General Charles Holland. Keith Stansell, former hostage held by the Columbian revolutionaries for five years joined Gen. Holland as well as Jordan Briley, the daughter of Warrant Officer Donovan Briley, who lost his life in Somolia in 1993.
Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Mike Reynolds entertained the crowd as master of ceremonies and Air Force Capt. Ed Torres, Jr., from the 919th Special Operations Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, performed several patriot songs to set the mood. Although the three main speakers came from diverse backgrounds, they all weaved in a common message: Be thankful for our freedoms and the never doubt the strength that comes from the love of family.
Gen. Holland reminded the families of fallen warriors that their loved ones lost their lives fighting for the country they love and defending the freedoms we all enjoy today. And, that without the support of their family, they would not be able to do their job.
Touching on a bit of history, Gen. Holland discussed the attempted rescue of Americans held in Iran in 1980 and the subsequent aircraft accident that took the lives of eight brave men in the desert of Iran. The special operations community came together to be sure the families of those men would be taken care of and never forgotten.
Gen. Holland also discussed the mission in Somolia that took the life of Jordan Briley’s father. That mission was captured in Mark Bowden’s book and movie, “Black Hawk Down.” Gen. Holland talked about the heroes of special operations, the caliber of men and women who face dangers so their children and loved ones hoepfully won’t.
One such man is Staff Sgt. Robert Gutierrez, an Air Force Special Tactics Combat Controller who was recently wounded while deployed to Afghanistan. Earlier this year, his team was under attack from enemy insurgents when several of the team members. Staff Sgt. Gutierrez and other members of the team opened fire at seven or eight insurgents while also advancing to pull their down team members into safety.
During the firefight, Staff Sgt. Gutierrez was hit twice in the chest plate but escaped injury. He was able to call in an airstrike even though the aircraft would have to shoot dangerously close to their position. He was later awarded the Bronze Star with valor for calling in more than 20 airstrikes that fended off more than 100 enemy fighters, killing more than 40 and allowing 17 friendly casualties to be evacuated, according to information provided by Air Force Special Operations Command.
Although recovering from a recent gunshot wound to the shoulder, Staff. Sgt. Gutierrez joined Gen. Holland at the dinner because he wanted to thank the Special Operations Warrior Foundation for their support while he was hospitalized, which allowed his wife to join his during his recovery. He also thanked the foundation for taking care of the children of his fallen special operations brothers.
Then Gen. Holland introduced Keith Stansell, who captivated the audience with his incredible story of capture and five and half year fight for survival as a hostage in the southern jungles of Columbia. His captivity was one of the longest civilian hostage situations in U. S. history and he was awarded the congressional Medal of Freedom for his actions, which is the equivalent to the military Purple Heart.
Keith credits his will to survive on the love of his family.
As a father of four, Keith explained that his children are his most precious resource and it was thinking about his children and how they needed him that gave him strength.
Keith offered some words of comfort to Jordan. “I can tell you that as a father, it is our children – our family that is in our thoughts. The last thought in your father’s mind was on his family.”
Thankfully, the special operations community takes care of its own. Through the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a top-rated nonprofit organization, and its generous supporters, Jordan Briley is a student at the University of Central Arkansas studying Mass Communications. The foundation provides funding for tuition, books, fees, room, board, expenses, computer and printer.
Jordan closed the evening with a special tribute poem she wrote for her father.
Thanks to the corporate sponsors who made this special evening possible:
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Foundation recently came together for the 5th Annual Salute to the Air Commando Family dinner in Fort Walton Beach, near the headquarters for Air Force Special Operations.