BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. –
They took the deployment voluntarily, and, after 30 days of training in Texas, the five 940th Logistics Readiness Support Squadron members were off to serve with the 70th Medium Truck Detachment at Camp Arifan, Kuwait.
Seven months later, they all returned safely to Beale Air Force Base, Calif. Tech. Sgt. Patrick McCarthy came home with a prestigious award - the Bronze Star Medal.
The deployment, McCarthy's third since 2005, was a short-notice assignment, but he said he didn't hesitate. "It was something I wanted to do. I knew it was convoys - line haul stuff - and this was my opportunity to do it," McCarthy said.
The technical sergeant had spent four years in the Army before joining the Reserves in 2004. "In the army, convoys are basically what you do. But I was assigned to the Army's Honor Guard unit, The Old Guard, so I never did it." McCarthy said. "That's probably the funniest part of this whole thing. I had to go in the Air Force to finally do convoys."
McCarthy and four other vehicle operators from the 940 LRS, Tech. Sgt. Kevin Steele, Senior Airman Jeffrey Langes, Senior Airman Kendall Grauberger, and Staff Sgt. Douglas Brock, left for Camp Bullis, Texas, in September. At the time, McCarthy was a staff sergeant. However, by the end of the month of training, he had added another stripe.
"I got a PEP promotion right at the end of training, so I was thrown in as an assistant convoy leader on a team prior to going in-country," McCarthy said.
It wasn't long after arriving at the 70 MTD that the new technical sergeant found himself moved into the position of convoy leader. "From there on out, it was just go time," McCarthy said, admitting that the job was "a lot of responsibility and a lot of moving parts to keep in check."
As a convoy commander, McCarthy lead a 14-man team in setting up logistics, coordinating pickups, security, vehicle support, and maintaining discipline in the convoy while on the road. He also worked through a foreign national liaison to interact with civilian contractors from all over the world.
In March 2009, McCarthy earned recognition as Convoy Commander of the Month for the 28th Joint Logistical Task Force.
Most of the time, an officer is in the command and control position, McCarthy explained. "E-6's don't normally control convoys, especially a convoy of 45 vehicles, working with other services and foreign nationals," he said.
McCarthy drew heavily on his Army background. "I'd been trained in convoys, and I'd done coordinating movements. But I'd never been in charge of this many people at one time. It was very stressful," he said.
The new convoy commander found himself doing some public speaking, as well. "I had to brief a visiting 3-star (general), and I gave safety briefings and other talks to my guys all the time," McCarthy said, "I'm not a public speaker. It was my first time."
To handle the pressure of his new duties, McCarthy said he reached out for family support. "I was nervous, so I turned to my dad. He's my rock to fall back on, my spiritual leader," he said.
McCarthy said he also learned to trust his team, admitting that he had a tendency to micromanage when he first took command. "The guys didn't like it, and they told me about it," he said with a smile. "My team was awesome, and once they knew what I wanted, they knew how to take care of everything. My success is completely reflective of them. They did their jobs amazingly."
According to McCarthy, his convoy team was blessed. "There were no major incidents. We never got hit by anything, and we never got lost, thank goodness!" he said, "Talk about adding on some time to make your drive even longer."
Convoy trips ranged from a few days to a few weeks, with layovers at different forward operating bases, McCarthy said. "We fob-hopped, eating at all the different chow halls. We tried to plan our layovers just so we could have the best food," he admitted, adding that his favorite place was Camp Striker at VBC because of the variety on the menu there.
Striker was not only his favorite chow hall, it was familiar territory to McCarthy who had spent his first deployment in 2005-2006 providing base support at Camp Sather in Baghdad. McCarthy also deployed to Kyrzygstan in 2007-2008.
After three deployments, McCarthy said he plans to volunteer again. Of his military experiences to date, McCarthy said, "The convoy was what I'd wanted, as far as a life experience." Regarding his Bronze Star, he added, "I'm not sure how I'll top that."
Still, McCarthy said he definitely has a few goals in mind. This spring, he tried out for the Air Force Volleyball Team, securing a spot on the first-ever Men's Beach Volleyball Team and becoming eligible to compete internationally on the Armed Forces team.
He recently became Chief Dispatcher of the 940th LRS and is working on a degree from Community College of the Air Force. "I know that I want to stay in transportation. I'd like a career in logistics," he said.
"As a Bronze Star recipient, Tech. Sgt. McCarthy is in the company of great warriors who have fought the brave fight," said Chief Master Sgt. Jessica Palmer, Superintendent of the 940th Logistics Readiness Squadron. "Tech. Sgt. McCarthy has represented himself, his service and his country well! There is no one more deserving of this honor than he."