HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (WKRG) — The United Service Organizations recently named a Hurlburt Field airman as the United States Air Force Service Member of the Year.
USO recognizes a junior enlisted service member from each branch of service annually for going above and beyond, and exemplifying what it means to be in the U.S. military.
Staff Sgt. Andrew English, a 4th Special Operations Squadron special missions aviator, was selected as the Air Force’s member of the year on Dec. 14.
He received this honor because of the courageous acts he displayed in May of last year.
“It was my honor to close out my time at the USO today by presenting the USO Service Member of the Year Award to the very deserving Staff Sgt. Andrew English for his heroic acts,” USO Florida Executive Director Dana Cervantes said.
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Staff Sgt. English saved 15 aircrew members when he quickly responded to a fire on an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship during a training exercise at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
He discovered the fire in the flight deck shortly after the AC-130J took off. He quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. Then, he checked to make sure his fellow aircrew members were safe and gave them emergency breathing devices.
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