87th CES EOD technician earns Purple Heart, Combat Action Medal

Published March 7, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Ryan Throneberry
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Maj. Gen. Bill Bender, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander, presented Tech. Sgt. Peter Arbelo with a Purple Heart and an Air Force Combat Action Medal March 4, 2013, at building 3210 here.

Bender, along with Arbelo's wife, Stacey, joined a multitude of 87th Civil Engineer Squadron Airmen to pay tribute to the 87th CES Explosive Ordnance Disposal training NCO who fell victim to an improvised explosive device attack in the Ghanzi Province of Afghanistan June 28, 2012.

"The word 'hero' is not chosen lightly and that's what this ceremony is all about," said Bender. "We have been engaging in irregular warfare for the past decade, so we have had to adapt. There is no better example of adapting to these new tactics like that of EOD troops who have learned to overcome the challenges of a very treacherous and demanding career field."

Arbelo sustained head injuries while clearing IEDs along the route to a coalition checkpoint. He was leading a three-man team through the checkpoint when an IED detonated directly in front of their vehicle. Disoriented, Arbelo checked on his team before disembarking the wrecked vehicle. He then used a metal detector to clear a safe route for him and his team to await extraction and medical evaluation.

"When I heard what had happened to my husband, it didn't seem real," said Stacey. "He's deployed so many times without any major incident. Of course, with the nature of his job, I know things can happen but I do my best not to think about it."

Arbelo compared the varying intensities from being downrange to that of a racecar driver coming back and having to drive 25 miles per hour.

The EOD technician has deployed six times since enlisting in May 2001. He was recently tasked with another deployment; something he said he is excited about, regardless of the incident.
"I definitely do feel lucky," said Arbelo. "Maybe a different type or larger amount of explosive, or maybe impact to a different part of the car would have had a different outcome."

When asked to say a few words following his medals presentation, Arbelo simply said he couldn't do his job without the support of his wife.

"That's my husband," said Stacey. "A man of few words."

The Purple Heart is the first U.S. military award. It was established by George Washington and was known originally as the Badge of Military Merit. It is now awarded to service members who received combat-related injuries. An estimated more than 1,700,000 Purple Hearts have been awarded to U.S. military members since its inception in 1782.

The secretary of the Air Force approved establishment of the Air Force Combat Action Medal March 15, 2007, to recognize any Airman who actively participated in ground or air combat. The main eligibility criterion is that the individual must have been under direct and hostile fire while operating outside the defended perimeter or physically engaging hostile forces with direct and lethal fire.