Spencer Stone Honored: Purple Heart and Promotion

Photo: Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane/Air Force[/caption]Spencer Stone, the Airman who along with two others foiled a terrorist attack on a train bound for Paris in August 2015, will be awarded the purple heart, Airman's Medal, and a promotion from E-3 to E-5. From Air Force times:Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, hailed as a hero around the world for helping stop a gunman's planned rampage on a train in France last month, will receive the Purple Heart, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Monday.Defense Secretary Ash Carter will preside over the award ceremony Thursday at which Stone will receive the Purple Heart, as well as the Airman's Medal, James said at her keynote address at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference. The Air Force had previously announced Stone would receive the Airman's Medal, which is the Air Force's highest noncombat award.

Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, hailed as a hero around the world for helping stop a gunman's planned rampage on a train in France last month, will receive the Purple Heart, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Monday.Defense Secretary Ash Carter will preside over the award ceremony Thursday at which Stone will receive the Purple Heart, as well as the Airman's Medal, James said at her keynote address at the Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference. The Air Force had previously announced Stone would receive the Airman's Medal, which is the Air Force's highest noncombat award.Read the full Air Force Times article.UPDATE: Spencer Stone will also be promoted from E-3 to E-5 during an event to be held 17 September, 2015. Air Force Times:Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, widely proclaimed a hero after he charged a gunman Aug. 21 on a train in Belgium, will be promoted to staff sergeant, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh announced Tuesday.Welsh decided he wanted to recognize Stone for the way he has responded to the crush of attention since he helped subdue the gunman.“He has inspired a number of people by the way he as responded to this – his humility,” Welsh said at the Air Force Association’s 2015 national convention. “He has stayed very true to himself from the very beginning. He has not let the moment overwhelm him. He has represented the Air Force very well and very proudly and, basically, he has an instinct for saying and doing the right thing, which I think is going to be a very, very good attribute in a young NCO supervisor."See it all at Air Force Times.[mwi-cat-listing cat="94" ppp="4" cols="4" desc="false" type="view" btn_color="black" ]