Military working dog handler receives Purple Heart award

Published March 23, 2011
By Steve Hoffmann
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Staff Sgt. James Martin III, 81st Security Forces Squadron, was honored last Friday with the Purple Heart for wounds he sustained while deployed to Afghanistan.

Maj. James Clark, 81st SFS commander, pinned the award on Sergeant Martin during a ceremony March 18 at the Roberts Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Facility .

Sergeant Martin was wounded Dec. 6, 2010 while assigned to the 101st Airborne Division serving as a military working dog handler for Charlie Company, 3rd Platoon, operating in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Sergeant Martin and his military working dog, a German Shepherd named Densy, were attached to the platoon to sniff out improvised explosive devices.

The award citation stated, "While on a dismounted combat patrol during the third firefight of the day, Sergeant Martin's platoon was ordered to the east of their position to investigate suspicious activity, when they immediately encountered an insurgent ambush. While taking up a fighting position, Sergeant Martin received a gunshot wound to his shoulder. Immediately upon finding adequate cover he checked Densy for wounds and then returned fire before being medivac'd to Kandahar Airfield."

"I expected to see blood, but it was water," explained Sergeant Martin as he described the moment when he realized he had been hit. "I was hit by two rounds. I felt a rush of warmth down my back and thought I was bleeding out but realized it was water from my camelback. The other round went through my shoulder."

Sergeant Martin had been stationed at Keesler less than a year before his deployment to Afghanistan, his third deployment in seven years in the Air Force.

When asked how this experience has changed his perspective, Sergeant Martin replied, "It really makes you realize the need for training, especially as a dog handler, because you're embedded with the Army so much. If they are trained up, you need to stay trained just as much."

Sergeant Martin continues to work and train with Densy at the military working dog kennel at Keesler.

"I love what I do," he said. "For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to be a cop and I love dogs. It's just something I've always wanted to do."