CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE AIR RESCUE ASSOCIATION RICHARD T. KIGHT AWARD TO SENIOR AIRMAN SALVATORE L. PORTELLI
Senior Airman Salvatore L. Portelli distinguished himself as Pararescueman Journeyman, Pararescue Flight, 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 353rd Special Operations Group, Kadena Air Base, Japan, from 1 August 2009 to 31 July 2010. During this period, Airman Portelli conducted over five-hundred hours of notification, plus five minutes alert status for combat search and rescue coverage supporting a joint special operations task force during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.
Furthermore, Airman Portelli was the primary response medic following a collision between an AH-1 and UH-1 helicopter. During the rescue operation, he and his team traversed eight hundred meters through enemy territory. Upon reaching the crash site, he led the effort to sanitize sensitive communications equipment and the safe recovery of six personnel for further treatment at a combat support hospital.
During a second mission, Airman Portelli extracted seven soldiers critically injured by an improvised explosive device blast; delivering immediate trauma care that ultimately led to saving their lives. Additionally, Airman Portelli also led rescue efforts on a dangerous mission to recover an Army soldier that had fallen into a 70-foot deep well during a night tactical mission. During the rescue, he set up a complex rope system for extrication of the injured member, then treated life threatening hypothermia, multiple crucial fractures, and ultimately saved the soldier's life.
The distinctive accomplishments of Airman Portelli reflect credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
