Airman Who Thwarted Terror Attack Receives Airman's Medal

Airman who Thwarted Terror Attack to Receive Airman's Medal

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U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone meets Chief Master Sgt. Phillip Easton, 86th Airlift Wing command chief, upon his arrival to Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Aug. 24. 2015. Photo by: Sara Keller/U.S. Air Force[/caption]The Air Force announced today that Airman First Class Spencer Stone its highest non-combat honor, the Airman’s Medal, for his heroic actions aboard a Paris train.The Air Force made clear that A1C Stone is still eligible for other awards including the Purple Heart if investigators determine that the attack was an act of terrorism.From the initial reports about the background of the attacker, it seems unlikely that this attack will not be ruled an act of terrorism. From Stars and Stripes:The Air Force is awarding Airman First Class Spencer Stone its highest non-combat honor, the Airman’s Medal, for his heroic actions aboard a Paris train, the Air Force announced Monday.Stone, Alek Skarlatos and college friend Anthony Sadler took down a gunman wielding an AK-47 and box cutter as he began an assault on a high-speed train bound for Paris late Friday.

The trio have been hailed as heroes in France, where they were awarded the Legion of Honor, France’s highest honor, on Monday by French president Francois Hollande.“What the gunman did not expect was a confrontation with our very own Captain America. Believe it or not, that is what Airman Stone’s friends nicknamed him during Air Force technical training,” Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James told reporters Monday when announcing the medal.Read the rest at Stars and Stripes.[mwi-cat-listing cat="94" ppp="4" cols="4" desc="false" type="view" btn_color="black" ]