Bronze Star goes to special agent at Hill AFB

  • Published
Maj. Gen. Kathleen Close, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander, presented the Bronze Star medal to Special Agent Richard S. Cox, Air Force Office of Special Investigation, Detachment 1, on June 9 here. The special agent was recognized for his actions while serving as superintendent for AFOSI Expeditionary Detachment 2410 and engaging in ground operations against an opposing armed force at Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, from May 5 through Oct. 22 in 2008. The citation that accompanied Cox's Bronze Star medal states the following instances that awarded him the medal:

"During this period, while under constant threat of attack by terrorists and insurgents, Agent Cox personally conducted 39 combat missions into Kirkuk City to collect critical threat information. He served as a combat leader to 14 agents and 30 tactical security element operators who conducted 122 combat missions throughout Kirkuk Province, leading to the capture of 35 terrorists ... Capture of these enemies significantly disrupted improvised explosive device and indirect fire attacks against Iraqis and coalition forces. Agent Cox personally managed production of 345 intelligence reports which indentified 1,190 high-threat insurgents, thus giving direct action teams a continuous flow of target sets to neutralize. His partnership with local Iraqi police chiefs led to the discovery and seizure of 672 rocket blast fuses that could have been used against coalition and Iraqi security forces. Of particular note, Agent Cox dramatically enhanced the operations compound by obtaining over $500,000 to revamp living quarters and office space, to construct a mission planning room and to build protective barriers for the unit's armored vehicles."