Scott captain a Portrait of Courage Published Nov. 4, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Amber Kelly-Woodward 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- A Scott captain entered the Air Force as an enlisted Airman in 1993 with the goal of getting his degree and getting out. In 2005, he deployed to Iraq as an officer with the goal of getting home safely. Now Capt. Edward Torres, 635th Supply Chain Management Group executive officer, is featured in the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Portraits in Courage-Airmen in the Fight, Volume 3. "It was a surprise and I'm truly honored and humbled to be mentioned by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for serving alongside my fellow warriors in the fight," said Captain Torres, a Lorain, Ohio native. Portrait's in Courage is a venue to showcase the bravery, commitment, teamwork and personal sacrifice Airmen make for America. Sixteen Airmen were chosen for this volume from numerous packages submitted by major commands. In the beginning of the book, courage is defined as "the ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief. Courage is what makes someone capable of facing extreme danger and difficulty with blank retreating. It implies not only bravery and a dauntless spirit, but the ability to endure times of adversity." April 1, 2005 , then 1st Lt. Torres, Detachment 2632 Director of Convoy Operations, was conducting a convoy mission when an Improvised Explosive Device detonated disabling one of of the vehicles being escorted in his convoy. Capt Torres' guntruck was first on the scene and his crew provided medical aid to an injured passenger while also securing the kill zone. On the same day, Captain Torres' convoy was attacked by another IED. Captain Torres realized that they were in the midst of a multiple IED's daisy chained and assisted in moving the convoy to a secure area a few miles down the road. Unfortunately, the convoy came under attack again and began taking intense fire from insurgents. Before the situation became overwhelming, the call was made for an F-16 close air support flight that stopped the insurgents helping the convoy to escape with minimal casualties. "We didn't have time to think about what was happening during the attacks, as our reactions were conditioned responses from what we learned from the Basic Combat Convoy Course at Camp Bullis, Texas," said Captain Torres. "BC3 did an outstanding job preparing us for the incredible pressures that come from various attack scenarios we'd experience in theater. My team applied what we learned from BC3 and we were able to successfully use them in our day-to-day operations." Captain Torres joined the Air Force after trying the college life for a couple of years. "I never thought I'd be where I am now and I'm thankful the Air Force has presented me with opportunities for success I never imagined possible," he said. Captain Torres was enlisted for nine years and attributes some his fast thinking skills from being an NCO, which taught him how to lead other Airmen. "It is truly an honor to serve alongside Airmen from different (Air Force Specialty Codes) in a combat mission with six weeks of minimal combat training," said Captain Torres. "My personal success was a true testament of the character of the Airmen whose hard work, dedication and perseverance enabled our detachment as a whole to succeed." While in Iraq, Captain Torres' convoys also encountered small arms fire attacks, rocket propelled grenades and IED detonations. "The hard work of our military and government goes toward the continued improvements and developments in Iraq," said Captain Torres. For his eight months of service in Iraq, Captain Torres was awarded the Bronze Star. In 2007, Captain Torres was again deployed, this time to Kuwait with the 586th Movement Control Team to perform quality control inspections on cargo preparing to be moved on convoy missions. Some information for this article was provided by the Portrait's in Courage-Airmen in the Fight, Volume III.