Senior Airman John Chege

Chege was the lead driver in a convoy to Tikrit, Iraq, last summer when a roadside bomb exploded beneath his truck, killing his gunner.

Despite numb legs and collapsed lungs, Chege had to be held down; he wanted to help his squadron disable an oncoming car charging at them, his supervisor said.

Chege, a Kenyan citizen, lost five friends in the bombing of the U.S. embassy in 1998. That played a role in his enlistment "to be a part of people making a difference and try to stop the terrorism," he said.

Chege received a Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. He was back on duty in four months. Prior to his deployment, he volunteered with Adopt-A-Highway and at a local veteran's hospital.