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Air Cav Pilot Inducted To Hall Of Fame
(October 20, 2010) | 
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Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carl Fox, from Proctorville, Ohio, assigned to Company B, 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, poses for a photo in front of an AH-64D Apache attack helicopter in March 2010. Photo by U.S. Army Capt. Christopher Batchelor |
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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 |
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there with him in person, but in spirit. |
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“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. | |
By Army SSgt. Joe Armas
1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs
Copyright 2010
Provided
through DVIDS
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