Photo By Staff Sgt. Bryan Dominique | Col. Daniel Dudek, collective training chief at I Corps on JBLM, and his wife Megan at...... read more read more
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Nine years after the fact, and one day after Memorial Day, Col. Daniel Dudek of Wilmington, North Carolina was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his end of tour in Iraq during the summer of 2007, by Congressman Denny Heck of Washington State's 10th District, May 31, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Memorial Park.
Dudek, collective training chief at I Corps on JBLM, spent three months in Iraq before he was medically evacuated after sustaining injuries in an improvised explosive device blast that resulted in the loss of his legs.
He chose to have his award ceremony in front of the memorial where the names of fallen Soldiers from the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division are enshrined.
"On the plaque behind me is one of the Soldiers, Cpl. Brandon Craig, [who] was killed in the same IED blast with me," said Dudek. He was standing [inches away] from me, and for that I just feel like I have to... earn it. I think I hear that in my mind all the time, where Brandon Craig tells me to earn it."
Since the loss of his legs, Dudek has continually strived to 'earn it' and honor the fallen.
He competed in the 2012 and 2013 Warrior Games, earning a total of seven gold medals and one silver medal.
In 2014 he participated in the Invictus Games in London, and hopes to participate again when the games are held in Toronto, Canada in 2017.
He completed the Seattle to Portland bike ride via hand cycle in 2015, which is a more than a 200 mile trek.
Despite those achievements, Dudek says being awarded the Bronze Star puts to rest what happened in Iraq.
"This Bronze Star really puts an end to that tour for me," he said. "So for everyone who made this possible, [congressman Heck], the G1 section, and all the staff that had to get signatures to help [get this] through, I just want to say thank you to everybody."
Dudek was immediately evacuated from Iraq for medical treatment after the loss of his legs, and then assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit to allow time for recovery.
His quick departure resulted in his name being dropped from the roles of the 4th Stryker Brigade and the end of tour award not being processed.
United States Code requires recommendations for a military decoration to be entered within two years of the act or achievement, but a member of Congress can request consideration for an award or decoration that would otherwise not be eligible due to limitations established by law or policy.
JBLM lies in Washington State's 10th congressional district, so the I Corps human resources department, or G1, asked if Congressman Heck would submit a request to the Department of the Army on behalf of Dudek.
"There's not a lot about being in Congress today that's a lot of fun," said Heck. "But on occasion I get to speak on behalf of 672,455 people, each whom I call boss, and today I speak for them Danny and Meagan. Thank you."
To see the awards ceremony in its entirety, visit the I Corps YouTube page at https://youtu.be/xDK_tX2fPV8.
| Date Taken: | 05.31.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.01.2016 19:20 |
| Story ID: | 199706 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 928 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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