TOP STORY >>Lt. Col. receives 4-star salute

By Tech. Sgt. Arlo Taylor
314th Airlift Wing Strategic Information Flight

The 463rd Operations Support Squadron commander received a four-star thank you at his bronze star ceremony March 13.
Air Mobility Command Commander Gen. Duncan McNabb presented Lt. Col. Mark Czelusta, his award for his efforts as commander of the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq.

“Mark has done a superb job and I got to see the results of what he did when I visited Balad recently,” said General McNabb. “The kinds of things that Mark did and set in motion are why you hear so much about how many folks we have gotten out of harms way."

Colonel Czelusta was awarded the medal for his exemplary performance commanding the only “hub and spoke” airlift squadron in Iraq. The squadron combined 129 active-duty and reserve personnel and 10 aircraft from five squadrons into an effective combat unit that delivered over 19,000 passengers and 10,800 tons of cargo to numerous austere forward operating bases. The deliveries reduced the requirement for over 1,675 convoy vehicles and saved countless lives from the treacherous roads of Iraq. To date, the squadron is credited with taking more than 5,200 convoys off the Iraqi roads through their tactical airlift mission there.

The colonel credited his fellow 777th EAS members, many who were in attendance at the ceremony, for his success.
“I might be wearing this medal but you were the ones who earned it,” he said. “It was your drive and dedication to excellence and the incredible effort you put out over the deployment and are continuing to do was awe inspiring. You guys absolutely rock!

“I am honored and proud of every single one of you,” he said. “From maintainers to operations support to aircrews, every single one of you are beyond compare. I am very honored."

Colonel Czelusta provided crews and aircraft for the first employment of the Joint Precision Air Drop System in Afghanistan proving its combat vitality and developed parallel structures at other deployed units ensuring the continued capability for Operation Enduring Freedom, according to the award citation

General McNabb said leaders like Colonel Czelusta are making a difference in the Global War on Terrorism. “We have leaders like Mark who have led as squadron commanders and who we ask to go make magic happen — and indeed, Mark did,” the general said. “There are ways we can figure out using new technology like the C-130J ... using our asymmetric advantage to make sure we can defeat these terrorists.”