Expeditionary Center lieutenant earns Bronze Star

Published Oct. 8, 2008
By Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol
U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center Public Affairs

FORT DIX, N.J. -- For most of 2007, 1st Lt. Eric Snelgrove was deployed to Iraq, but not just any part of Iraq. He was in northern Iraq as the fusion cell officer in charge at a U.S. Army forward operating base.

His work there with special forces was significant and the Army noticed by awarding him the Bronze Star. Lieutenant Snelgrove was officially awarded the medal in a special ceremony Sept. 24 in the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center's Grace Peterson Hall by EC Commander, Maj. Gen. Kip Self.

"It's a huge honor," said Lieutenant Snelgrove, the 421st Combat Training Squadron's intelligence flight commander here. "I was fortunate enough to have worked with some of the best Army special operations forces in the world, and when you work with the best, they challenge you to be the best.

"Our special operations forces operate in the shadows and fight day-in, day-out, achieving enormous victories that will never make the newspaper," Lieutenant Snelgrove said. "They wouldn't want it any other way. It was a privilege to work along side those warriors."

He was deployed from May to November 2007. The citation for the Bronze Star highlights the Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran's achievements.

"Lieutenant Snelgrove's leadership, technical and analytical skills allowed him to flawlessly support the task force for signals intelligence targeting and exploitation operations during sustained combat operations," the citation reads. "His contributions ensured the success of a series of ground combat operations of national significance."
Lieutenant Snelgrove brings that deployed experience to work in the Expeditionary Center - a place he says is on "the cutting edge."

"Operating in a joint environment, and going outside the wire, you learn a lot about the warrior mentality." Lieutenant Snelgrove said. "And that is really what we are trying to teach the students who come through the Expeditionary Center. We are giving them the tools so that they aren't a liability to their fellow Airmen and Soldiers in the battlefield. The things I learned in Iraq cannot easily be incorporated into any Air Force unit, but that is what makes the EC so cutting edge, and so necessary right now."

According to an Air Force fact sheet, the Bronze Star is awarded to personnel in any branch of the military service who distinguished themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.

"The award recognizes acts of heroism performed in ground combat if they are of lesser degree than that required for the Silver Star," the fact sheet shows. "It also recognizes single acts of merit and meritorious service if the achievement or service is of a lesser degree than that deemed worthy of the Legion of Merit; but such service must have been accomplished with distinction."