Free Republic

Reservist earns Pitsenbarger award 4/14/2004 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- A reservist from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., has been named the 2004 Pitsenbarger award winner. Senior Master Sgt. Dale Berryhill, an airborne communications systems operator, was selected for his heroism while supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sergeant Berryhill was a crewmember aboard an MC-130E Combat Talon I about 50 miles northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, when a fire erupted. The flames and smoke quickly engulfed the cargo compartment and flight deck of the aircraft, filling it with toxic fumes. While other crewmembers donned their personal protective gear, Sergeant...