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Safety Center mishap investigator awarded Bronze Star Medal

  • Published
  • By Darlene Y. Cowsert
  • Air Force Safety Center Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Lt. Col. William D. Neitzke, a mishap investigator assigned to the Aviation Safety Division, Air Force Safety Center, received the Bronze Star Medal during a ceremony held here Aug. 23.

Maj. Gen. Greg Feest, Chief of Air Force Safety and commander of the center, presented the decoration to Neitzke for meritorious achievements during a year-long deployment in support of Operation New Dawn and follow-on activities. From July 21, 2011, to July 20, 2012, Neitzke served as Air Advisor, Iraq Training Assistance Mission, U.S. Forces-Iraq, Kirkuk, and as Chief of Security Assistance Director's Action Group, Office of Security Cooperation-Iraq, Baghdad.

During that period, Neitzke was an instructor pilot on the Iraqi Air Force Cessna TC-172 when flying training missions with Iraqi Air Force pilots over hazardous terrain with the threat of hostile surface-to-air fire from insurgent groups. According to the citation accompanying the decoration, his training efforts were instrumental in building Iraq's Air Force capabilities that will ultimately lead to a trained cadre of F-16 pilots.

As the Chief of the Security Assistance Director's Action Group, Neitzke oversaw the day-to-day operations of 650 Department of Defense and contract personnel executing 230 Foreign Military Sales cases with $12.25 billion.

Feest said he was very familiar with the work Neitzke accomplished in Iraq because he went there to monitor the pilot training. "It's my pleasure to be able to present this medal because he not only provided that training which was very important to the future of Iraq, but he did it very successfully with the threat of injury," Feest said.

Following the ceremony, Neitzke reflected on the service members who remain in Iraq and the importance of their work there. "There are people from all the services still in Iraq, helping to rebuild the country," Neitzke said. "I completed my tour and got to come home; please don't forget those who are still there and the work they continue to do in carrying out the mission."