AFRC commissions artist to document heroism

  • Published
  • By SMSgt Minnie Jones
  • 433rd Airlift Wing
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas --  Maj. Warren Neary, an Air Force Space Command Individual Mobilization Augmentee historian, was commissioned by the Air Force Reserve Command's history office to paint a couple of paintings. The paintings would depict scenes of Air Force Airman, who were recognized by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Mark A. Welsh, III, during his address at the 2013 Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference at National Harbor, Md, Sept 17.

"Although I'm a civil-servant historian at Scott Air Force Base and an IMA Reservist historian, I'm also a member of the Air Force Art program," Neary said. "AFRC's History Office thought it would be interesting to have an Air Force artist, who is also a reservist, create the paintings of these great Reserve Airmen and their stories."

Air Force Reservist, Capt. Adriana Valadez, 433rd Aeromedical Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, was acknowledged by Welsh when he told the AFA's audience of her extraordinary heroism.

Valadez, while deployed to Afghanistan, was assigned to the 651st Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Kandahar Airfield. The 651st EAES' mission is transporting patients from Kandahar to other bases throughout their area of responsibility to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Valadez was onboard one of those flights, called, "Bandage 33." The flight crew, consisting of Valdez, and her five-person medical team, picked up an Air Force Combat Controller, Tech. Sgt. Zach Rhyner, who had been severely wounded on a battlefield in northern Afghanistan, back in late March. The Airman suffered extensive wounds, including being shot through his leg fracturing his femur.

While en route to Bagram Airfield, Rhyner's condition began to deteriorate. He began to bleed heavily, and his blood pressure dropped.

Valdez contacted the aircraft commander and had him divert the aircraft to Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan instead. While in flight, the aircraft met with turbulence, making it difficult to keep pressure applied to the wounds. To assist Rhyner better, Valdez strapped herself to the side of his litter and continued to apply pressure to his wounds to control the bleeding until they landed.
Once the painting of the Bandage 33 mission is finished, Neary understands the original portrait may hang in the Office of the Chief of the Air Force Reserve, Lt. Gen. James Jackson, at the Pentagon.. Additional copies will tentatively hang at Headquarters AFRC, at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. and the 433rd Airlift Wing, JBSA-Lackland.

"It is always a pleasure creating paintings of our Airmen in action serving our county. And naturally, it's a subject that I enjoy as a member of the Air Force Reserve," Neary said.

Individuals can view other artwork of Neary at the United States Air Force Art Collection website at http://www.afapo.hq.af.mil/Presentation/main/Index.cfm