TOP STORY>>Wounded warrior makes final jump

By Capt. Victoria Porto
Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) – One by one, Airmen from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron lined up at the back of a C-130 Hercules, paused, then stepped off the aircraft Oct. 16, completing their free fall training jump into the picturesque water of Florida’s Emerald Coast.

For Staff Sgt. Johnnie Yellock Jr., this jump was two years and 28 surgeries in the making.

In 2011, Yellock, a 23rd STS combat controller, was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While on a mission checking Afghan local police outposts, his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device.

“When I opened my eyes, I was on top of the truck with my legs hanging down onto the bed,” Yellock said. “I had open fractures on both of my feet through my boots.”

Despite his injuries, he continued to pass information to his team, including the details for a helicopter landing zone for his own medical evacuation.

“I’d been in the career field for years and I was trained for this type of situation, trained on medical trauma care,” he said. “I took pride in the knowledge I had, and I was confident I’d be able to help a teammate if needed. I didn’t expect it to be myself.”

For two and a half months his parents and sister stayed by his side while he was recovering in the hospital in San Antonio, Texas.

Once released, he began his outpatient rehabilitation and the long road to recovery. The first year, he stayed mostly in a wheelchair before he was finally able to walk, first with crutches, then unassisted.