Warren member earns Bronze Star Published June 26, 2009 By Anna Rader 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- A Warren member earned a Bronze Star medal June 11. Maj. Robert Patton, 90th Missile Wing command post, by service to the United States as an air operations officer, Special Operations Task Force earned a Bronze Star medal while in north Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from May 2008 to December 2008. A Bronze Star is a joint medal given in war time for meritorious service, and according to Major Patton, receiving it was humbling. "It's quite an honor that the unit I worked for thought I did that well to warrant a Bronze Star," Major Patton said, "but it's really the unit that made our success possible." During his time in Iraq, Major Patton was in charge of building air support missions for special forces in his unit. "It was a blast working with the army special forces," he said. "They are very dedicated. They are very professional, and working 48 to 72 hours was common for us running the missions. "You'll never feel tired again after seeing their work ethic," the major said. He synchronized and coordinated close air support, air medical evacuation and electronic warfare platforms to support combat operations. He also planned the operations throughout northern Iraq and distributed the flow of foreign terrorists and fighters. "It was exciting to see ICBM reps leave such a good impression on the joint community," Major Patton said. "It says a lot about the ICBM culture." His knowledge and expertise in air operations resulted in the help of 250 missions and the capture of more than 400 enemy prisoners. Major Patton's actions did not go unnoticed, and as for to working with the people in his unit, "It was a once in a life time experience," he said.