Special Agent proves Airmen are ‘in the fight’ Published Oct. 4, 2007 By Tech. Sgt. Chris Vadnais AFN HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii (AFPN) -- A Special Agent assigned to the Office of Special Investigations detachment here recently received the Bronze Star with Valor for his heroism in Iraq. Special Agent Greg Carmack saved his own life and those of several others near Kikuk, Iraq on June 14th, 2006, when he went one-on-one with a suicide bomber, countering the notion that the Air Force isn't 'in the fight' downrange. En route to capture a high-value suspect near Kirkuk, Special Agent Carmack's OSI convoy stopped to discuss mission details with their Army support team. As three agents gathered outside of their vehicles, a warning shot rang out. Seemingly out of nowhere, a small white truck plowed over an Iraqi policeman and continued toward the American military vehicles. "When that happened I instinctively knew what it was," said Special Agent Carmack. "I knew that it was definitely danger to us, that it was most likely a suicide bomber." Quickly, precisely, almost automatically, Agent Carmack raised his weapon and began firing. Several shots later, the truck smashed into one of the two Army hum-vees in front of the OSI convoy. Its ordnance did not explode. "My partner Mike Bryant had come around and formed a wedge," said Agent Carmack. "[Fellow agent] Mr. Joyce was covering me, so I got up and went back to cover," he said. "At that point the entire event was over, it lasted a total of thirty-six seconds." In those thirty-six seconds, Special Agent Carmack made a decision and acted in a way that would save his own life and those of several others. Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams found two 130 millimeter shells rigged up on the passenger side of the vehicle. For his decisive actions, Agent Carmack was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. "If I go downrange and I'm on the front line again, Greg is definitely one of those people I would love to serve with," said Special Agent Forrest Williams, Commander of Detachment 601, Office of Special Investigations at Hickam Air Force Base. "Those of us who have served in Iraq, we know it's a different culture; it's a different type of war," said Special Agent Williams. "And when you're faced with hostile threat 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you want to make sure your team members will do what they have to do to save your life because you're going to do the same for them." Deployed Airmen hear it all the time from Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines: According to many in our sister services, the Air Force isn't doing as much as others are; the Air Force plays more of a support role, not venturing "outside the wire" of the forward operating bases as much as the other services. Special Agent Carmack said that's just not true anymore. "Ten, fifteen years ago, it would be uncommon for blue-suiters to be outside the wire doing the things that we do," he said. "OSI, EOD, personnel assigned to weapons intelligence teams--which is a joint venture with the Army--those are the people that are outside the wire all day, every day, on a regular basis," he said. "More commonly now, we have personnel from all different career fields conducting convoy operations, security forces are in some areas holding portions of the battle space, where they go outside the wire and patrol portions of the battle space," he said. "Being outside the wire is starting to become the norm for the Air Force." As a final note--about that high-value target he was after on June 14th, 2006--Special Agent Carmack went back to pick him up only three days later.