Luke OSI agent awarded Bronze Star

  • Published
  • By Deborah Silliman Wolfe
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs staff writer
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. - --  Special Agent Wilbur Barras, Air Force Offi ce of Special Investigations Detachment 421, was awarded a Bronze Star by Col. Dennis Gervais, AFOSI Region 4 commander, on Nov. 20 at Luke Air Force Base.

He received the award in recognition of his outstanding achievements as officer-in-charge at the Regional Command East counterintelligence team, International Security Assistance Force at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, May through Dec. 2007.

"I'm grateful and honored to be part of such a unique group of people," said Agent Barras. "I couldn't have done this without my team. I have the paper that congratulates me, but it's a whole team doing the job together."

Agent Barras has been an OSI agent since March 2005, after he crossed over from security forces because he was "captivated by the challenge of what OSI does."

While serving at Bagram, Agent Barras stood up to that OSI challenge, and led a joint Army and Air Force team of 17 agents assigned to three geographically separated locations supporting 62 forward operating bases. According to the citation accompanying the award of his Bronze Star, Agent Barras's actions resulted in the publication of more than 350 intelligence reports and the opening of 22 counterintelligence investigations. He also directed his team's use of the Defense Department Smart Rewards Program resulting in the expenditure of $80,000 to procure man-portable air defense weapons previously unseen in theater such as AT-5 rockets with launchers, and 325 pieces of ordnance, denying their use by the enemy. He also developed an informant network which identified 150 insurgents and provided tactical and strategic intelligence to enable the capture and neutralization of 45 terrorists.

Special Agent Brandon Cole, AFOSI Detachment 421, and Special Agent Donna Pelligrini, AFOSI Detachment 421, were also awarded Air Force Commendation Medals at the ceremony; Agent Cole for outstanding achievement while assigned to AFOSI, 2nd Field Investigation Region, 24th Expeditionary Field Investigations Squadron, Expeditionary Detachment 2409, Ali Air Base, Iraq; and Agent Pelligrini for meritorious service while assigned to 4th Field Investigations Region, Detachment 421, AFOSI, Luke AFB.

"The OSI story doesn't get out very often," said Colonel Gervais when introducing the awardees. "It is a story of courage, and service in the shadows. Service to something bigger than self. All of these awardees exemplify that. Their service entails sacrifice and loss. We in OSI have lost seven agents in combat over the last few years, and 24 agents were seriously wounded. I tell you that to drive home the point of how special these Americans are who serve with OSI. Many in our country are good at talking about the defense of freedom, but few are willing to step up and actually put themselves as risk to defend it. The folks you see, do exactly that, quietly, humbly and in service of freedom.