Purple Heart recipient to receive medical retirement

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jaimi L. Upthegrove
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOMESTEAD AIR RESEVE BASE, Fla. --  The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the U.S. armed forces who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy. Master Sgt. Edward Sileo, a member of the 482nd Security Forces Squadron, was awarded the Purple Heart for an incident that occurred Jan. 21, 2010 in Kirkuk, Iraq and is scheduled to be medically retired from service July 29.

Sileo was working alone in a security forces supply building when a Naqhshbandi Rocket hit the base near the security forces compound. He was thrown backwards into shelving units striking the base of his skull and some Blue Force Tracker antennae, along with their steel mounts, fell from the shelves crashing into his head. Each of these antennas weighs roughly 15 pounds each.

He tried to carry on as though nothing happened, but his friends, Master Sgt's. Charles Williams, 482nd SFS, tactical training noncommissioned officer in charge, and Kerry Oresky, 482nd SFS, education and training NCOIC, encouraged him to pay a visit to the medical clinic.

"We were walking by the dining facility on an elevated sidewalk, and then we heard something hit the ground, turned around and Ed was rolling down the ditch. Then he fessed-up and told us about what happened in the supply tent," said Williams. "It continued to get progressively worse so one day, we took his weapon, grabbed him, and helped him into the med tent and signed him in, about three days after the incident."

They noticed he was increasingly unstable on his feet and was frequently disoriented and dizzy.

"I'm really thankful for the help of my fellow Airmen, sergeant's Williams and Oresky, and all the Security Force members who were with me in Kirkuk and persuaded me to go to the hospital when I didn't think it was necessary," said Sileo. "Actually, they very politely forced me against my will."

Sileo completed his tour in Iraq and sought further medical evaluation and treatment upon his return home. After many doctor visits and tests, he was officially diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury that he suffered from the attack that day.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TBI is caused by a blunt force or penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. The severity ranges from mild, which is a brief change in mental status or consciousness, to severe, which is an extended period of unconsciousness or memory loss after the injury, depending on the force and location of the injury.

Sileo now lives with the erratic symptoms like nausea, extreme dizziness, imbalance, memory loss, and vision problems due to TBI.

"It has taken a significant amount of patience and understanding on behalf of my family, coworkers, and friends to navigate living with the injury," said Sileo. "Those people simply don't get enough credit for all they put up with and how much they have helped me through all of this."

Sileo is a traditional reservist who holds a civilian job as a law enforcement officer for the Broward County Sherriff's Office. Due to the injury, he was unable to perform his duties in the same capacity and fortunately, they were able to cater to the disability and give him a less physically demanding role in the facility.

"Being in a job where it is necessary to always be at the ready to defend yourself or others, I felt that it would be much safer for all if I was placed in an administrative assignment," said Sileo. "I've been serving as the administrative lieutenant in our Criminal Investigations Division since my return to work."

On the military side, however, the situation was more complicated to navigate for Sileo.
He was originally going to be medically discharged from military duty. He appealed this decision, and it was recently overturned. He will be medically retired July 29, after 19 years of service.

"For me, I just happened to be close by when an enemy rocket impacted. Our service members who take the fight to the enemy are the folks I admire for their courage," said Sileo. "I can't begin to thank everyone enough for their support, friendship, and for the important work they do every day, they are all such a blessing."