Delaware airman awarded third Bronze Star

An Air National Guardsman from Middletown was presented with his third Bronze Star Medal for going above and beyond during a combat tour in Afghanistan.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Devin Tomaseski is the base civil engineer in the 166th Civil Engineer Squadron of the Delaware Air National Guard in New Castle. Deployed from Dec. 2011 to June 2012, Tomaseski served as the executive officer in charge of 20 explosive ordnance disposal teams at eight different locations with over 200 members.

Their responsibilities included identifying and disarming improvised explosive devices in southwest and western Afghanistan.

“The fact that Maj. Tomaseski has earned the Bronze Star medal for the third time is testament to his dedication to his fellow Airmen and all U.S. service members, the Air Force and his nation,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, adjutant general of the Delaware National Guard. 

The Bronze Star is awarded to military service members who demonstrate heroism or outstanding service in a combat zone. Vavala presented Tomaseski with the honor during a medal ceremony Friday morning.

Tomaseski is an EOD-qualified civil engineer with over 15 years of service in the active-duty Air Force and the Air National Guard. He has deployed six times in direct support of Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

His first two Bronze Star Medals were earned for service in Iraq in 2006 and in 2007-2008.

“Maj. Tomaseski provided outstanding leadership in the highly critical and stressful field of explosive ordnance disposal in multiple combat environments in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Vavala said. “He displayed superior subject matter expertise and personnel management while tending to the needs of the Airmen who identify and disarm improvised explosive devices to successfully reduce one of the greatest threats to American troops.”