News Search

In face of terror, Reservist’s training kicks in

  • Published
  • By Bryan Magaña
  • 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UT --  Staff Sgt. Thomas Benincosa, 419th Security Forces Squadron, was reaching the end of his six-month deployment to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, Iraq, and his homecoming felt closer than ever. But within moments, home was the farthest thing from his mind.

In January 2008, Sergeant Benincosa, a Senior Airman at the time, was on night-watch in one of the towers set up to oversee the hotspots along the base's perimeter.

"In that particular area I had a grand view of the Kurdish neighborhood outside the base," he recalled. "I could see the rooftops of the homes. It was known to be a generally safe post, but it was unique in that it was a single man post."

After he'd finished briefing his leadership at the command post close by, that "generally safe" tower was unexpectedly blasted by four rounds from an AK-47.

"I started taking small arms fire from every direction," he said. "I thought, 'This is it.' I was pretty much on the tower alone. Shots were hitting the safety glass in front of the tower, on the side of the tower."

Sergeant Benincosa crawled into nearby sandbags, which were showered with bullets from the weapons of what he now believes could have been up to four assailants.

"That's when I saw two armed assailants advancing toward my tower," he said. "One was holding what appeared to be an RPG launcher, and the other had an assault rifle. They fired at me and I started firing back at them. I saw him, he saw me - that's how close we were."

Within two minutes, security patrol had arrived to back him up, as well as help from the Army in the form of helicopters and Humvees.

"We did everything in our power to repel them back," he said. "It happened within seconds, and was over within seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. We did exactly what we were supposed to do. They train you over and over and it just kicked in."

Sergeant Benincosa said his Reserve training was the key to preparing him for a scenario like this.

"We train just like the active duty," he said. "But the one thing that gives the Reserve an added dimension is that many members come from prior service, and they're usually older and more experienced."

He said his success in repelling the enemy that night is due to both his training and strong leadership in his squadron.

"I have great squad leaders. They're all about heart and are absolutely devoted to developing Airmen that are not only combat ready, but more importantly, combat effective."

More than a year after the attack on his tower, Sergeant Benincosa still gets emotional when he realizes how close he was to dying for his country.

"I relive it every day," he said. "And I thank the Lord that they (the assailants) didn't get through to the tower."

In August 2008, Sergeant Benincosa was awarded the Air Force Combat Action Medal, which is given to those who participate in combat, who have been under direct and hostile fire, or who have physically engaged with hostile forces with direct and lethal fire in connection with military operations.

"It's the ribbon that's cool to have on your uniform, but you don't want to go through what it takes to earn it," he said.

Sergeant Benincosa was deployed from the fall of 2007 through February 2008 as part of the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, along with 36 other men and women from the 419th SFS.