Courtesy Photo | Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carl Fox, from Proctorville, Ohio, assigned to Company B, 1st...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Joe Armas
FORT HOOD, Texas – From the skies of Baghdad to the skies of central Texas, his career as an Army aviator has taken him places and graced him with experiences that few others can account for.
With four combat tours and 800 combat missions to his credit, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carl Fox, a standardization instructor pilot with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, joined select company when he was inducted into the Combat Airman Hall of Fame, Oct. 8, in Midland, Texas.
The hall of fame, which includes previous inductee President George H.W. Bush, recognizes American aviators who have served their country in combat with distinction.
Fox, who is originally from Proctorville, Ohio, is assigned to Company B, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st ACB.
For Fox, receiving the award was a humbling and gratifying experience.
“It was remarkable,” he said. “I had the opportunity to share war stories and spend time with combat veterans from World War II and the Korean War.”
His achievements as an Army aviator in combat situations are what led him to garner such recognition.
During the four-day event, Fox was able to share the experience with people from all over the country with whom he shared a common bond.
Fox was informed that to this point, he is the only combat veteran from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan to be inducted, but he was assured that he would not be the last.
As he accepted his award on stage, Fox thought about those who were not there with him in person, but in spirit.
“It was very humbling to be recognized in this manner, and I’m not the only one who deserved this award” said Fox. “I accepted the award on behalf of four of my fellow comrades who were killed in Iraq while supporting ground troops who were in contact.”
Many of his family members made the trip from Ohio to witness his induction, which added to the special occasion.
Fox, at times emotional, said his parents sacrificed a lot to get him through college, and were very proud to be there. Furthermore, it meant a lot to him to have his wife there, whom he credits with keeping everything under control back home while he was deployed in combat, allowing him to focus on the task at hand.
As for his time in combat, one of his colleagues can vouch for the fact that Fox has always been there for others.
There were many occasions when ground forces needed reinforcements and he [Fox] was there to provide suppressive fire from the air and help them achieve their objective,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Wayne Turner, a safety officer with Company B, 1-227th, 1st ACB, originally from Marietta, Ga.
Turner also points out the fact that Fox knew how to help others handle the stress that can arise during combat deployments.
“Whenever we were faced with adverse situations, he was always the calm figure who remained steady and focused,” said Turner.
Moreover, Fox vividly remembers some of the trying times he faced while deployed to Iraq.
He talked about the time when his team of four Apache Longbows engaged the enemy during the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003. Not only did one Apache crash, resulting in two pilots from his team getting captured, but four other pilots in two other aircraft were forced to make emergency landings. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, his Apache Longbow was the only one left to finish the mission. This was Fox’s first combat mission, and to this date the most dangerous, he noted.
His second combat tour in 2004 was equally challenging.
“Our battalion [1-227] covered a lot of ground that tour,” he said. “I remember flying into sand storms and not knowing if I was going to make it out of there,” he said.
“It seemed like we were fighting every day from Najaf to Fallujah, but our morale was as high as it had ever been,” said Fox.
In the end, Fox’s induction into the Combat Airman Hall of Fame is a testament to his service to this country during a time of hostilities, but equally noteworthy is his humbleness in receiving the honor.
He’s a very humble person, said Turner. He would be the last person to say that he deserves to be inducted, even though he definitely does.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.18.2010 14:34 |
| Story ID: | 58355 |
| Location: | FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 126 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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