SSgt Eric Wade Acton

Staff Sergeant Eric Wade Acton was born in Kansas City, Missouri where he lived and graduated Winnetonka High in 2004. After attending the University of Missouri Kansas City, he joined the Air Force on January 3, 2006. His love for difficult challenges, trying something daring and knowledge of medicine steered him to enlist as a Aerospace Medical Service Technician. This path provided him the opportunity to be attached with the Army on a deployed to Afghanistan where on one mission he heroically returned fire to defend his team and treated three injured Afghanistan Police Officers earning him the Air Force Combat Action Medal. After his deployment, he lived for something more challenging and joined the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Medical Flight, 336th Training Support Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base Washington. The SERE training mission was something new but his zest for medical knowledge provided the opportunity to achieve the highest echelon of medical care that an enlisted medical service member can go as an Independent Duty Medical Technician (IDMT).

As an IDMT, Staff Sergeant Acton quickly showed he was able to take on many tasks at the 336 TRSS. As a qualified medic he provided medical care for 249 students in the field and here at home station, returning an outstanding 100% to training. This ended up saving the Air Force over 2.1 million dollars. Furthermore, SSgt Acton loved giving up his time to the less fortune it and less competent. His selfless civic actions, added up to over 300 hours with 10 different civilian and government agencies. His knack at teaching allowed him to be called back repeatedly for tactical medicine, wilderness first aid and Army emergency medical care for combat medics. Finally, an airman never to stray away from challenge he was responsible for one million dollars of vehicle and equipment assets. SSgt Acton was a vital role for the 336 TRSS and will be greatly missed.