Airman to receive Air Force Cross for heroic actions during enemy ambush in Afghanistan
SSgt Alaxey Germanovich
ASpecial Tactics Airman will be awarded the Air Force Cross on Dec. 10 for heroic actions during a 2017 battle in Afghanistan in which he “repeatedly” exposed himself to enemy fire to direct airstrikes.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Alaxey Germanovich, a Special Tactics combat controller assigned to the 26th Special Tactics Squadron, 24th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, will be presented with the second-highest award for combat bravery by Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett during a ceremony on Dec. 10, according to an Air Force press release.
Germanovich was attached to an Army Special Forces team with Afghan Commandos during a mission in Nangahar Provine, Afghanistan, on April 8, 2017. The team was ambushed by enemy combatants, and Germanovich “repeatedly exposed himself to sniper and machine gun fire while directing numerous danger close airstrikes.”
“With the team expending all of their rifle ammunition and grenades, they drew their pistols in an attempt to suppress the advancing enemy,” the release says. “Germanovich directed his team’s withdrawal, then traversed 700 meters carrying a casualty up a mountain to a helicopter landing zone while directing close air support.”
He’s credited with protecting over 150 friendly forces and destroyed 11 enemy fighting positions during the eight-hour battle.
Germanovich will be the 12th Special Tactics Airman to receive the Air Force Cross since Sept. 11, 2001.
As the article notes, he is the 12th recipient. All 12 since 9/11 have been awarded for actions in Afghanistan.
Category: Afghanistan, Air Force, Air Force Cross, Valor
BZ SSGT Germanovich! Too busy kicking azz to take down names. And way to bring the dam dam down on the bad guys.
BZ to Higher for not taking forever to recognize this Warrior!
Congrats, a special group on Airmen. They fit in very well with the rest of the Special Ops community. Always professional, and a treat to work with.
And he still looks almost too young to be an E-1.
What a stud. Way to go SSGT!!!
Bravo Zulu Staff Sgt. Germanovich- damned well done.
Thank you young man. Makes me proud of my branch of the military
Well done SSGT Germanovich! Damned well done indeed Sir.
Hardcore.
Germanovich is a 2010 graduate of Boiling Springs High School (SC) and has received numerous other honors including the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Just call me Mr. Grinch.
A few of the things credited to the Staff Sgt. (E5) seem to be a little too good to be true.
“With the team expending all of their rifle ammunition and grenades, they drew their pistols in an attempt to suppress the advancing enemy,”
An eight-hour engagement and they didn’t receive any resupply? Or reinforcements? Or just withdraw in the face of an evidently overwhelming force?
“Germanovich directed his team’s withdrawal, then traversed 700 meters carrying a casualty up a mountain to a helicopter landing zone while directing close air support.”
The Staff Sgt. (E5) took over command of a Special Forces team and 150 or so Afghan commandos? And I suppose he walked backward those 700 meters of rough terrain so he could observe the targets he was calling in air strikes. What were the other 100+ people doing while he was multitasking, particularly since they didn’t have any ammunition?
“After one team member, Army Staff Sgt. Mark De Alencar, was killed in the action, Germanovich moved to place himself between the attacking enemy and his team in order to “protect them with his body and employ his own suppressive fires,” the citation states.”
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/12/05/airman-who-directed-danger-close-airstrikes-ferocious-firefight-will-receive-medal.html
He must have a rather large body if he can protect his whole team with it.
Ordinarily I let this stuff slide, but in this case I just can’t suspend my disbelief far enough this time.