Silver Star recipient, hero to many

Published Dec. 20, 2013
By Airman 1st Class Sergio A. Gamboa
325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A wounded warrior spoke about his experience and recovery to the Paul Airey NCO Academy class 14-1 Dec. 19, in the NCOA auditorium.

"I've always been a person to make the best out of everything," said Master Sgt. Joseph Deslauriers, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal technician, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. "As much as deployments, being in the worst places and not being able to talk to your family for weeks, can be a pain, you put up with it and try to find the best and that's what I did."

Deslauriers received the Silver Star after losing both his legs and left arm during a 2011 deployment to Afghanistan. He stepped on an improvised explosive device after providing medical assistance to an injured Marine and trying to move him to safety.

"There are ups and downs," Deslauriers said. "Not everything is apple-pie and sunshine. I still have cloudy days now."

Deslauriers talked about the troubles he went through in recovering from his wounds and dealing with his mental state.

"When I was impatient, I missed my uniform and I missed my stripes," said Deslauriers. "I couldn't believe how much I missed being in the Air Force."

Still being active-duty is a right for me, he explained.

"I can't do my job the same way anymore, everything is different, but I can still be an EOD technician," Deslauriers said. "I have my head and my heart and can still give back to young Airmen."

You may not feel that you're a leader right now, or were born a leader, Deslauriers said. Leadership can still be learned if you don't give up.

"Our class motto here is, 'Too legit to quit,' and that really summarizes him," said Tech. Sgt. Eric B. Schroeder, 45th Intelligence Squadron geospatial analyst at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and student at the NCOA. "He didn't quit, not only in the battlefield, but on his family, the Air Force and his troops."

Deslauriers does not consider himself a hero, but others do.

"Individual acts of heroism are amazing, but it's that sustained heroism that he has shown and continues to show that impresses me," said Schroeder. "It's a great feeling for our class that we are in an Air Force that allows that."

To see Deslauriers come and talk to this class was moving, Schroeder said.

"His speech was very touching, he is a very inspiring guy," Tech. Sgt. Miriam Carpio-Hospedales, 514th Security Forces Squadron unit deployment manager at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and student at the NCOA. "He is truly a hero, a warrior, a survivor and one-of-a-kind."

The NCOA dedicated one of its thirteen classrooms to Deslauriers. He said he was honored to be a part of the building.

"The Air Force talks about resiliency and I think anybody who was in my position would do what I did," said Deslauriers. "We are trained as NCO's and deployers to be resilient, and that transfers into everything we do on a daily basis."