CONS member earns Bronze Star

Published May 14, 2009
By Airman 1st Class Mindy Bloem
43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Master Sgt. Scott Rogge, 43rd Contracting Squadron, was awarded the Bronze Star medal in a ceremony at the 43rd CONS conference room May 6 for his exceptionally meritorious service in a combat zone with exposure to risk of hostile action during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Since Sergeant Rogge is the type who normally shies away from attention, he didn't want a public ceremony initially; however, his wife talked him into having a low-key ceremony with only his co-workers present.

"The ceremony is for my family," Sergeant Rogge said. "The recognition is about what I did, but I couldn't have done what I did without them. Even though I don't like attention, I am glad that my family could be here because they're the ones who made it all possible."

His wife Laura said "I told him it was a big deal because he keeps saying it's not, and I really wanted him to have the ceremony so our children would remember it and I know they will for the rest of their lives. They still remember pinning his master sergeant stripes on, so it's good for them to see this once in a lifetime accomplishment and be proud of their dad."

Sergeant Rogge's Bronze Star is proof that every person is critical to the war effort and each person's mission is critical to the larger objective. His award narrative listed many of his accomplishments during his most recent deployment to Iraq. Here are just a few of those achievements.

-His contracting efforts valued at $17.5 million provided the combat support needed for numerous battle space victories for thousands of Soldiers.
-His swift execution of these contracts resulted in employment opportunities to multiple Former Sons of Iraq and released detainees in an area of traditionally high militia activity.
-His contracting skill plugged a major convoy security breach across main supply routes.
-His aggressive award of a 20-kilometer long fence at one particular Combat Support Center allowed all inbound and outbound convoys along that route safe haven from improvised explosive devices and explosively formed penetrator danger during transit, which saved countless lives.
-He convoyed on three separate occasions in order to provide crucial construction acceptance expertise while securing a final delivery.
-He flew by helicopter on four separate occasions to Forward Operating Bases throughout the Area of Responsibility to provide in person training to 38 trainees spanning contracts valued at more than $25 million.
-His leadership ensured the safety of five personnel during numerous insurgent and militia attacks using small arms at the main entry control point, only 200 yards from the RCC.

This deployment marked Sergeant Rogge's first to Iraq, and although he has deployed previously in his career, he says this one was his most challenging.

"I don't think I was ever completely in the right frame of mind," he said. "It takes time to adjust when you find yourself in a situation where you're continuously worried about indirect fire, rockets and mortars and attacks at the gate. The first three weeks I was there, I was told to be careful because tracer fire normally goes down the path I had to walk home on at night. It definitely puts you in a different frame of mind. You are more worried about self-preservation than you are about getting the job done at first. It took me probably the better part of six to eight weeks to get to the point where I realized you can't change it, prevent it or control it, so I decided to just do what I came there to do and just took all of that other stuff as it came."

By the looks of his citation, he did what he went there to do and then some.
Sergeant Rogge went outside the wire in a hostile Iraqi province (not a normal contracting duty) to ensure construction completion of a key Iraqi Provincial command and control facility for the government of Iraq and the Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi police.

"The provincial coordination center that we finished gave the Iraqis in that province the 9-1-1 capability equivalent to what we have in this country," he said. "The capability is for their Iraqi Security Forces as well as their Iraqi police because it's a joint facility. That was the first time for them to have that type of capability. They were very appreciative. I took a lot of pride in what we did for the Iraqi people, and that we were able to see the results of our efforts."

Sergeant Rogge also enjoyed being exposed to various forces and people from other countries with whom he was able to form strong friendships.

"I liked being in the joint environment," he said. "I made some really good friends with some Romanians, some Iraqis, Marines and many others -- people you work with on a daily basis who you just bond with and create those friendships with, especially when you are all sitting in a bunker for hours at a time in the early morning."

For Sergeant Rogge, the best part of all was just being able to come home to the ones who love him most.

"My favorite thing was that I made it home safely," Sergeant Rogge said. "That is the honest truth. People go there every day. People come back every day. They do their job while they're there, but the bottom line is we want to get home to our families."

"I am so glad to have him home," Mrs. Rogge said. "I am proud of him. I have always been proud of him. He always goes above and beyond in everything that he does."

Bronze Star Ceremony