Airman among the first to receive new combat medal Published Oct. 22, 2007 By Corey Dahl 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- An Airman at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station has been awarded a medal so new and exclusive, he doesn't even have it yet. Staff Sgt. Rory Stern, a member of the 721st Security Forces Squadron at Cheyenne Mountain, has been awarded the Air Force Combat Medal, which was created just last March. The medal is so new, in fact, Cheyenne Mountain was still waiting to receive it when Sergeant Stern's accomplishment was recognized at the base's commander's call Oct. 15. "It's such an unusual and new medal that they don't even have them available yet," Col. Bradford Gentry, commander of the 721st Mission Support Group, told the audience as he handed Sergeant Stern a certificate instead. "Paper is just going to have to do for now." Not that Sergeant Stern minds; he's just happy to be here. Sergeant Stern was awarded the medal for actions he took while under direct and hostile fire in Iraq last October. Deployed to help with security in the southern portion of the country, Sergeant Stern was traveling in a convoy when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. With several of his colleagues severely injured, Sergeant Stern - despite having a separated shoulder himself - grabbed a machine gun and helped secure the area so medics could attend to the wounded. "Pretty much, it's just one big blur now," he said. "At that point, training takes over and you ignore everything else." No one could ignore Sergeant Stern's actions that day, though. Once he returned, he was nominated for the new combat medal. Unlike awards like the Bronze Star, which recognizes superior performance of duties, and the Purple Heart, which honors wounded servicemembers, the Combat Action Medal specifically recognizes Airmen who have served in a combat role since the Global War on Terrorism started. Just a handful of the medals have been handed out since June, when the Air Force presented the first six at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., so Sergeant Stern said he was proud to be part of a new Air Force tradition. But he stressed the fact that most of the praise belongs to the quick-thinking members of his team in Iraq, a few of whom are still recovering from their injuries. "The medal is great," he said. "Airmen every day are going into combat, so it's good to know that they're recognizing that we're out there fighting. But, at the same time, this isn't about me. It's all about the team that I had."