Airman Looks To Save Face
(March 15, 2011) |
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| ALI AIR BASE, Iraq (March 13, 2011) - Would you take a blast
from a 12-gauge shotgun at point blank to save the life of
another? Airman 1st Class Nicholas Mahan did and walked away
without even a scratch. It's no miracle - after all, he had
it covered. |
Nearly five and a half years before his first
deployment as a defender, Airman Mahan began
protecting the faces and lives of U.S. service
members in Iraq and Afghanistan, where hundreds
have suffered facial wounds caused by
explosions, gunshots or vehicle accidents.
Mahan, and other members of his family,
founded a private company specializing in facial
armor on May 5, 2005 after months of product
development.
“We had to learn how to do
everything,” he said. “It took us almost six
months before we had a product we were
comfortable with.”
The idea for the
company started after Mahan's cousin, at the
time Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Benjamin Mahan,
returned from Iraq in 2004. |
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Airman 1st Class Nicholas A. Mahan, 407th Expeditionary Security Forces Flight, poses for a picture with his helmet and attached facial armor March 8, 2011, at Ali Air Base, Iraq.
Photo by Senior Airman Andrew Lee |
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“After returning home from a deployment as a gunner, my
cousin was informed he only had a few months until he was
going back,” said Mahan, 407th Expeditionary Security Forces
Flight. “Remembering how vulnerable his face felt while in
the turret, he started looking online to find some type of
facial armor to take with him. After seeing there was no
such armor, we decided to make it ourselves.”
While
originally designed to protect gunners from improvised
explosive devices, the product also mitigates against
traumatic brain injuries and facial trauma for all vehicle
passengers. The company has sold more than 50 masks and is
looking to get one in the hands of anyone in harm's way.
“Right now, we just try to get as many masks out to
those who need them,” Mahan said. “We are currently working
with the Army and Marine Corps to get the mask out to those
who need it, but we are also trying to get the Air Force to
pick up on the project as well. One thing I didn't realize,
until after I was already in the career field, is that the
Air Force security forces do a lot of missions outside the
wire and our Airmen are getting injured on these missions
just like the other branches.”
Mahan is just happy he
is making a difference, and he truly is. The family company
has received several thank you letters from people in the
field.
“It feels extremely humbling knowing God used
us and our talents to create and develop this piece of armor
that has saved lives,” he said. “We received our first email
saying our mask saved someone's life. It was so surreal
thinking someone is alive because of something we made in
our basement. After that, as more and more masks were
bought, the emails just kept coming in of faces and lives
being saved.”
For some this level of success would
have been sufficient, but Mahan wanted to do more while he
still had the chance and at the age of 26, the Martinsville,
Ind., native enlisted in September 2009.
“I thought
it was my duty to serve my country,” he said with a sense of
patriotism in his eyes. “This is a once in a life
opportunity, and I wanted to do something before it was too
late.”
After basic training and technical school,
Mahan was assigned to the security forces squadron at
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
“I have no regrets
about enlisting,” he said. “I have done a lot of things I
would have never been able to do as a civilian. I appreciate
everything the Air Force has offered me.”
Mahan is
even enjoying his current assignment in Iraq. As part of the
407th ESFF at Ali Air Base, Iraq, he helps provide on-base
security for Air Force resources and training for the Iraqi
security forces.
“It isn't as exciting as I hoped my
first deployment would be, but I know what we do is
important,” he said. “Training the Iraqis to be able to
secure their base and resources is really rewarding.” |
Article and photo by USAF SSgt. Michael Longoria
U.S. Air Forces Central, Baghdad Media Outreach Team
Copyright 2011 | |
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