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505th Command and Control Wing News

Reece Receives Airman’s Medal and MO Conspicuous Service Medal

  • Published
  • By Rick McKee
Air Force Reservist Lt Col Daniel E. Reece was awarded the USAF Airman's Medal and the Missouri Conspicuous Service Medal in recognition of his actions responding to a St. Louis, MO apartment fire on December 9, 2013.

Reece serves as the Reserve Director of Operations for the 505 Command and Control Wing (CCW) Detachment 1 (Det 1) at Ft. Leavenworth, KS.  

Reece was driving to work at his previous unit when he noticed smoke coming from a residential neighborhood.  "Noting that first responders were not yet on the scene, he rushed to provide aid after being told that there were people inside..."  reads the citation that accompanies the medal.  Reece directed the nearest person to call 911 and then entered an apartment that had thick black smoke exiting from the front door.  Realizing he needed a flashlight, he ran next door to the attached apartment which shared a common roof and wall and as he tried to enter found the door locked.  Someone yelled, "She is still in there!" After two attempts to kick the door open he proceeded to kick out the plate glass window with his flight boots.  St. Louis County Patrol Officer Michael Schira, with the help of another person, had arrived on the scene and kicked in the front door. With the door open, Reece led in front and darted inside to the bedroom of the 3 room apartment to awaking a sleeping woman.  With the bedroom lights on PO Schira exclaimed, "Your house is on fire!"  Reece directed to lift the frightened woman with her bed sheets and they exited the building to safety.  He then returned to the apartment that was on fire and was about to enter again when someone yelled, "He is out!"  Reece then ensured that everyone was out of danger and checked the residents for injuries when the First Responders arrived and took over Incident Command.

Reece credits his USAF mentors, training, family, church, and colleagues he volunteers with in Emergency Management and Public Health with "You are the ones who developed in me the courage and clarity to go into those rooms that December morning" and added "You are the people I know who truly care for other people.  You are MY heroes." 

Col Keith J. Teister, commander 505 CCCW Det 1, presented Reece with the Airman's medal on 30 March 2015.  Reece also received the Missouri Conspicuous Service medal which was presented to him by Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Preparedness Branch Director, Melissa Friel.  Reece's wife Tabetha, four children: Trevor, Allison, Robert, Kyle, numerous family, friends and colleagues were in attendance.  Liberty, MO Boy Scout Troop 320 performed the flag ceremony and pledge of allegiance and Girl Scout Troop 410 provided cake and refreshment support.

Detachment 1, 505 CCW, a subordinate unit of the USAF Air Warfare Center, is located at Fort Leavenworth, KS and is the principle airpower advisor to the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, Combined Arms Center (CAC). The mission of the 505 CCW, Detachment 1 is to "provide airpower expertise and exercise support to Mission Command Training Program (MCTP) and liaison to Combined Arms Center (CAC)." Det 1 delivers airpower academics and doctrinally-correct, theater-specific airpower integration and replication during MCTP exercises.   Det 1 also provides Observer, Coach/Trainer (OC/T) support and Air Force exercise control to prepare warfighters for future operations through Army Mission Rehearsal Exercises (MRX) and Warfighter Exercises (WFX).

For more information about the USAF Reserves, please call 1-800-257-1212 or visit http://afreserve.com/  .