Whose Footsteps Do You Follow?

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Rob Harrison
  • 306th Intelligence Squadron
BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  While surfing through social media the other day, I came across an unattributed quotation posted by a mentor Chief of mine: "Heroes never die. They live on in the hearts and minds of those who would follow in their footsteps." The Air Force family lost an exemplary Airman on September 4, 2013. (Ret.) Master Sgt. Navid "G" Garshasb was not just any Airman. He was an "ISR Commando" and a bona fide hero that epitomized excellence, service, and sacrifice.

His Air Force story began as a vehicle operator and then as a civil engineer, but he found his calling as an airborne cryptologic language analyst thanks to his unique foreign language skillset. "G" served in the 25th Intelligence Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., as direct support operator ("Dizzo") providing threat warning to Air Force Special Operations aircraft. In the aftermath of 9/11, Master Sgt. Garshasb rose to the occasion.

"G" was the first name on the squadron's list to deploy immediately after 9/11. The excellent manner in which conducted himself was evident in how ready he was for the unexpected. Upon arrival as a newly cross-trained NCO, "G" literally flew through training and attained qualification on all six airframes operated by Air Force Special Operations at the time. He gave his unit and commander maximum mission flexibility ultimately allowing him to forward deploy to Jacobabad, Pakistan (OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM's original "J-bad") with the famed MH-53 PAVELOWs.

Flying with the famed MH-53 PAVELOWs is where "G" solidified his hero status. He and his crews were alerted to rescue a special operator suffering from altitude sickness on Nov. 2, 2001. "G's" aircraft suffered a radar malfunction and succumbed to a "hard landing" which is nothing more than gentle slang for crash! After egressing the downed helicopter and assessing everyone, it was obvious that "G" suffered a broken back and a broken collar bone. Shortly thereafter, a group of unknown but potentially hostile personnel approached their crash site. "G" hobbled with his broken back and shoulder through rocky, snow-covered terrain with the assistance of a fellow crewmate. He was able to break through the communication barrier using his native language skills and de-escalated the potential international incident since the fighter aircraft overhead were waiting to engage the potential hostiles.

For his efforts in this rescue and defusing the situation, Master Sgt. Garshasb was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and the Air Force Sergeant's Association Pitsenbarger Award. He was the first non-rescue Airman to ever earn the Pitsenbarger Award. "G" eventually healed from his injuries. He returned to flying status and deployed in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM in 2003. On that deployment, "G" was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and MEDEVAC'd back to Walter Reed in Washington, D.C.

"G's" sacrifice came after his surgery to remove the tumor and rounds of chemotherapy when he was medically retired just shy of his 20-year retirement eligibility. After he survived cancer, he survived two strokes and a blood disorder until his body could not take anymore. Simply put, the man never complained about a thing. He just served in an excellent manner despite his numerous sacrifices. Master Sgt. Garshasb's story serves as a shining example for fellow Airmen and fellow ISR professionals to follow.