Edwards OSI agent receives Bronze Star

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Facing constant danger, imminent threats and hostile environment are just some of the things that greet special agents with the Air Force Office of Special Investigation while they are deployed. 

For one special agent with the AFOSI Detachment 111, performing well in the face of danger earned him a Bronze Star Medal for his actions at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
Special Agent Christopher Mitchell was deployed in Bagram from Jan. 8 to June 30, 2006. 

"I was given an opportunity to learn a great deal about the job itself," Agent Mitchell said. "I was attached to folks who are absolutely fabulous and really had things established." 

Agent Mitchell said what special agents do in terms of anti-terrorism, force protection and things of that nature involves working with people, either colleagues or informants.
"We find, fix, track and neutralize terrorist threats in the area," he said. 

In a deployed environment, OSI agents are highly trained to go outside the wire, said Special Agent Kimberly Price, AFOSI Detachment 111 superintendent. 

"While outside, they are talking to sources, liaising with local law enforcement and government officials," Agent Price said. "OSI agents are constantly looking for information they can provide to commanders so they can determine the appropriate posture in keeping the base safe." 

And this is what Agent Mitchell did when he was in Bagram Airfield.

During his deployment, Agent Mitchell was engaged in ground operations against the enemy near Bagram. He led more than 100 combat sorties in a hostile environment under the threat of insurgent forces and improvised explosive device attacks. He created and directed complex human informant operations that gathered critical intelligence. 

In one such operation, Agent Mitchell recruited active Taliban fighters who provided key targeting information on major enemy command and control nodes. 

"What that involves is dealing with people directly, asking questions, and getting out and trying to figure out what the bad guys are up to," Agent Mitchell said. 

In two other operations involving recruited Taliban fighters, he played a role in the identification of suicide bombers in route to Bagram to carry out attacks against coalition forces. His direct participation in interdiction operations resulted in apprehension of the suicide bombers, safe recovery of the explosives and capture of key documents and intelligence information concerning future planned attacks. 

"During my deployment, I was pretty fortunate because of my team," Special Agent Mitchell said. "They set the bar so high, that you spend your time reaching that." 

Special Agent Price said that Special Agent Mitchell is very professional in his work. 

"Special Agent Mitchell's receiving a Bronze Star is a testament to the danger that OSI agents face in deployed environment," she said. "It is an acknowledgment of the potentially dangerous situations he faced." 

Mitchell said he owes his team for his successful deployment and receiving the Bronze Star. 

"My team is composed of absolute stellar human beings," he said. "It is an honor to work with them. I also want to thank the leadership for the Bronze Star. I feel great that they gave this to me. It is greatly appreciated."