FORWARD OPERATING SITE POWIDZ, POLAND – Chief Warrant Officer Four Jose C. Garcia was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal during a ceremony preceding the official transfer of authority between the 1st Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade and the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, July 10, 2024.
Garcia earned the award for successfully repairing an aircraft whose landing gear wheel had fallen off just as the helicopter was set to land. Garcia successfully refit the landing gear wheel on the AH-64 Apache helicopter, allowing the crew to land without the aircraft experiencing a dynamic rollover and potential loss of life.
Maj. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, 1st Cavalry Division commanding general, presented the award while hundreds of Task Force Pegasus Troopers stood by to hear Garcia’s exceptional story.
“I want to thank Mr. Garcia for his expertise,” said Admiral. “For his leadership, for his dedication, and for ensuring that we saved the aircraft and, more importantly, saved the crew. Thanks for being Cav Ready!”
Garcia was the air mission commander for four AH-64 Apache helicopters on a flight to an intermediate staging base (ISB) when a tire fell off the third helicopter’s main landing gear.
Under normal circumstances, the ground crew would have gathered items to construct an improvised landing system for the aircraft. In this case, however, they only had about 15 minutes of fuel remaining—not enough time for the usual procedures.
Despite these constraints, Garcia was able to work with the ISB team to retrieve the missing tire and reattach it mid-flight. The incident could have ended tragically without Garcia’s calm and focus on the most critical task.
“I couldn't have done it by myself. It was a team effort between us and the crash-and-rescue team, so we need to acknowledge them as well,” said Garcia.
This is Garcia’s second tour in the 1st Cavalry Division, with Garcia having served with the First Team for a total of 8 years. He is currently filling the role of the AH-64 Apache helicopter senior maintenance test pilot for Task Force Pale Horse, 7th Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment.
“This is the way I was trained,” said Garcia. “It is the way everyone is trained in Task Force Pale Horse, to react quickly, and that's what everyone did that day. The crew’s calmness and poise under pressure will help me remain the same going forward.”
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