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Nellis Airman comes home to fanfare

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Andrew Dumboski
  • Nellis AFB Public Affairs
A Nellis Airman arrived at the Officer's Club Nov. 6 to a hero's welcome from about 60 of his co-workers and friends after spending two weeks in Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB, Texas, for injuries he sustained while deployed to Iraq.

Airman 1st Class Brandon Byers, 99th Security Forces Squadron, landed with his wife, Megan, and daughter, Cameron, at McCarran International Airport, where they were met by Col. Gerald Curry, 99th Security Forces Group commander, and Maj. Jon-Paul Mickle, 99th Security Forces Squadron commander. The group was bused to Nellis and upon arriving at the main gate, were met by a police escort.

The Waxahachie, Texas, native was deployed to the 586th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron in Camp Bucca, Iraq. As a 50-caliber machine gun operator on a Humvee, Airman Byers supported convoy operations outside of the camp.

On Oct. 16, Airman Byers was returning in a convoy when an improvised explosive device exploded behind his Humvee. Of the four people in the vehicle, three were injured. Airman Byers took the brunt of the blast.

"I remember everything," he said. "We were doing our job, what we're trained to do, and everything just went kind of crazy. The only thing going through my mind was just how mad I was, because we were almost done with our deployment, and, up to that point, everything had gone so well."

Airman Byers had completed four months of his six-month-long deployment.

"I just wish I could have done more," he said.

Following the explosion, Airman Byers was flown to Landstuhl, Germany, and then to Wilford Hall for medical care. Prior to his departure to the United States, the airman was presented a Purple Heart by Col. Paul Curlett, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing commander.
The ceremony took place in the cargo hold of a C-17 Globemaster II at about 4:30 a.m. The ceremony was unique to how servicemembers often receive the medal. Typically a Purple Heart ceremony is conducted with an Honor Guard, cake, and friends and family close by.

"Most of the time, when something like this happens there is very little time for a servicemember to get this kind of recognition while in the field," said Colonel Curry. "This was a case when the commander had the opportunity and he took it."

Airman Byers said he is happy to be back at Nellis, and he is focusing on getting better.

"Getting here and seeing everyone cheering and showing their support brought a tear to my eye, to be honest with you. It felt good to see familiar faces," he said. "I'm going to work very hard to make sure that I can go back to my job."

Ms. Byers said her husband made a promise before he left that he would come home, and that God made that possible.

"He's alive and he's OK, and he's doing great. He's made a lot of progress so far," she said.

(Capt. Jeff Clark contributed to this story.)

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