Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Maj. Gen. Tom Wilcox, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center commander, stand with Capt. Shane Lockridge after awarding the Bronze Star to him at a commander’s call Feb. 13.AFIMSC engineer honored with Bronze Star
                        
                        
                        Maj. Gen. Tom Wilcox, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center commander, stand with Capt. Shane Lockridge after awarding the Bronze Star to him at a commander’s call Feb. 13.  Lockridge received the award for his performance as director of operations and engineer advisor for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from March 2018 to February 2019.  The Bronze Star is awarded to those who demonstrate heroic or meritorious achievement of service in a combat zone in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.   (U.S. Air Force Photo by Christopher Campbell)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

AFIMSC engineer honored with Bronze Star MedalPublished Feb. 18, 2020
                    
                    By Armando Perez
                    
                    
                    Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs
            **JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) --**Maj. Gen. Tom Wilcox, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center commander awarded the Bronze Star Medal to Capt. Shane Lockridge Feb. 13.Capt. Shane Lockridge is the chief of military construction requirements for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, a subordinate unit of AFIMSC. He received the award for his performance as the director of operations and engineer adviser for Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from March 2018 to February 2019.The Bronze Star is awarded to those who demonstrate heroic or meritorious achievement for service in a combat zone in connection with military operations against an armed enemy.“It’s important for everybody in this center to know that this is what our folks do when they deploy each and every day ... going out there, taking the fight to the enemy and taking care of our folks while doing it,” Wilcox said. “Capt. Lockridge, it is an honor to be standing with you.”What makes the captain’s accomplishments even more impressive is he volunteered for the tour, which was also his first deployment. He gives credit and appreciation to the team he led.“I had the honor of leading a team of 126 personnel tasked to bolster the capabilities of the Afghan Air Force’s engineering, security forces, logistics and communications squadrons,” Lockridge said. “Without their support and mentorship, I would have never been able to accomplish anything worth this honor.”He and his team were assigned to the 738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group, composed of more than 85 coalition members, including partners from the U.S., Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine and Belgium. The group assists, trains and advises the Kandahar Air Wing in order to provide support to coalition counterinsurgency operations. Advisers mentor their Afghan counterparts across a range of functions including flight operations, aircraft maintenance, intelligence, logistics, personnel management, communications and base defense.His squadron commander during his deployment, Maj. Kristina Sawtelle of the 443rd Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron, recalled the environment they were in and the work Lockridge performed.“Our base was a significant target for attacks as it was a strategic base for the U.S. military, NATO and the Afghan National Army and Air Force,” Sawtelle said. “There were countless nights that were spent in bunkers with incoming sirens going off. Capt. Lockridge was asked to serve in two major roles during his deployment as lead engineering air advisor with one of the largest portfolios in Southern Afghanistan and the director of operations for the largest and most diverse air advisor squadron in the 738th.”She emphasized that the level of work he performed further signified the level of achievement he demonstrated throughout his deployment.“While exposed to significant threat streams to include rocket attacks, mortars and insider-threats, and the train, advise, assist mission put Capt. Lockridge shoulder-to-shoulder with our Afghan partners,” Sawtelle said. “His construction portfolio was extremely dynamic; however, one of his major projects was a multimillion-dollar Kandahar airfield renovation. The construction would allow for the successful build of the Afghan Air Force’s light attack, armed aircraft. The operating environment came with significant risk that was mitigated through continuous tactics, training and procedures exercises, live-fire drills and security assessments.”As the only engineering officer in the 738th AEAG, he was also in charge of project development, funds procurement and construction execution of 12 projects worth $57 million. These projects included construction and renovation to assist in growing the Afghan Air Force mission by standing up the first Afghan UH-60 squadron 18 months ahead of schedule. In addition to bolstering the capabilities of the Afghan Air Force, Lockridge also participated in providing security and force protection to the entire 738th AEAG.“We endured multiple rocket attacks,” Lockridge said. “We were in constant exposure for possible green-on-blue insider attacks, and we were able to perform 135 outside-the-wire missions, which were done at a time when we were facing opposing forces there at Kandahar Airfield.”The airfield renovation was a significant accomplishment for Lockridge and his team. Enabling the beddown not only established the first-ever Afghan Air Force Blackhawk squadron ahead of schedule, but increased Afghan Air Force combat capabilities to progress toward operational independence.“The challenges and adversity our engineers overcame during this project were tremendous and I was truly proud to be a member of the team,” he said. “I was part of something bigger than myself and am honored every day to work with some of the greatest people this world has ever seen.”LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center 



AFIMSC 



Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland 



JBSA-Lackland 



Bronze Star Medal 



Air Force Civil Engineer Center 



Operation Freedom Sentinel 



738th Air Expeditionary Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil