“A True Hero”

 

 

Senior Airman Mike Malarsie, USAF, is a tactical air control party (TACP) specialist. He was hit by a roadside bomb while he, one other TACP and 11 Army soldiers were on foot patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan, January 3, 2010. The blast shattered his jaw, broke his nose, caused multiple lacerations to his face and neck, and caused the eventual loss of his eyesight. Nonetheless, he wants to remain in the Air Force and intends to test fir promotion, which will include a physical training test. He has said, “Yeah, I’m blind, but I’m still here. I’m not going to let this wound hold me back … I don’t want to take off the uniform. It’s always been a dream of mine to be in the military, and I want to be competitive.”