CUNNINGHAM-JASON

HE  WANTED  TO  SAVE  PEOPLE

Jason Dean Cunningham was born on March 27, 1975, in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  He graduated from high school in May 1994 and according to his mother he was full of life, always looking for new adventures.  In June 1994 he entered the Navy and was trained as an aviation boatswain’s mate.  His first assignment was with the Naval Support Activities, Naples, Italy, where in September 1995 he met his future wife, also an enlisted sailor in the Navy.  They married in March 1996.  While in the Navy he considered becoming a SEAL but after he had passed their fitness tests he ultimately decided he wanted a different career path.  In a conversation with his father he stated, “I want to save people.” 

When his four-year enlistment was finished in June 1998 he left the Navy although Jason loved the Navy he wasn’t able to do what he wanted  –  be a search-and-rescue swimmer – because the Navy changed the unit’s entry requirements.   While working as a volunteer firefighter and lifeguard, Jason continued pursuing his dream and learned of the Air Force program of Pararescue Jumpers whose mission is to save the lives of downed pilots and others in peril.  They are trained as medics and their skills include skydiving, rappelling and swimming.  His wife said, “That was him.  The job was made for him.”  Thus, Jason joined the U.S. Air Force in April 1999 and completed the grueling 21-month training course in June 2001.  To earn the pararescueman’s badge required him to become skilled at dealing with mental and physical stresses few others could endure, a course with a washout rate as high as 90-percent. 

Jason was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2002.  On March 4, 2002, he was the primary Air Force combat search and rescue medic assigned to a quick reaction force.  Aboard a Chinook helicopter the 13-man team was sent to rescue two American servicemen evading capture from Al Qaida and Taliban forces in austere terrain.  As the helicopter approached it was struck with rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire, causing it to crash-land.  Crewmembers formed a hasty defense and immediately suffered three fatalities and five critical casualties.  Despite effective enemy fire, and at great risk to his own life, Jason remained in the burning aircraft to treat the wounded.  As he moved his patients to a more secure location, mortar rounds impacted within 50-feet of his position.  Disregarding the extreme danger, Jason continued the movement and exposed himself to enemy fire on seven separate occasions.  When their second casualty collection point was also compromised, in a display of uncommon valor and gallantry, Jason braved an intense small arms and grenade attack while repositioning the critically wounded to a third collection point.  While doing so, Jason was mortally wounded when a bullet struck his back, shattered his liver.  Although quickly deteriorating, Jason continued to direct patient movement and transferred care to another medic.  While awaiting arrival of a rescue helicopter, Jason died due to his injuries.

In the end, his distinct efforts led to the successful delivery of ten gravely wounded Americans to life-saving medical treatment and for his extraordinary heroism, aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, and in the dedication of his service to his country, Senior Airman Cunningham was posthumously awarded the Air Force Medal.  He was survived by his wife and two children.  SRA Cunningham was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

AWARDS  &  CITATIONS

AIR FORCE MEDAL

PURPLE HEART

MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL

JOINT MERITORIOUS UNIT AWARD

AIRFORCE OUTSTANDING UNIT AWARD

AIR FORCE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL

NAVY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL

ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL

AFGHANISTAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL

GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM EXPEDITIONARY MEDAL

GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM SERVICE MEDAL

Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)