Sherman Connecticut Resident Staff Sgt. Todd Lobraico honored with posthumous valor medal

STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, NEWBURGH, NY (04/09/2015)(readMedia)-- New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Todd "TJ" Lobraico, a Sherman, Connecticut resident who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2013 will be recognized in a ceremony at Stewart Air National Guard Base on Saturday, April 11.
 
Lobraico's family will be presented with a Bronze Star Medal with Valor device. Lobraico is credited with taking actions which saved the lives of other members of the 105th Base Defense Squadron during a clash with Taliban insurgents outside Bagram Airfield.
 
The Bronze Star with " V" device for Valor is the fourth-highest individual military award for heroism presented by the United States.
 
The award will be presented to his father, New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Todd Lobraico, Sr. and his mother New York Air National Guard Lt. Col. Linda Rohatsch. Both are members of the 105th Airlift Wing, as was Lobraico.
 
Lobraico was on his second deployment as a security forces Airman when he was killed on Sept 5, 2013 during a firefight. He served in Iraq from December 2010 to June 2011.
 
Lobraico was assigned to the 755th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron of the 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Group, a part of the 445th Air Expeditionary Wing, when he was killed. He was serving as a vehicle commander.
 
According to his medal citation, On Sept. 5, 2013 Lobraico volunteered to establish a listening and observation post eight miles outside the Bagram Airfield perimeter in order to deter enemy mortar and rocket attacks.
 
Lobraico took the point position on the mission, scouting ahead and providing security for his fire team.
 
While moving he discovered an insurgent force which was in the process of setting up to ambush his fire team with rocket propelled grenades, small arms, and an improvised explosive device.
 
"With total disregard for his own safety he placed himself directly between his fire team and the insurgents who unleashed a hellish barrage of rocket, grenade, and small arms fire," the citation says. "Sergeant Lobraico took immediate and decisive actions while braving this intense enemy fire, and was mortally wounded while directing the maneuver of his fire team to covered positions from which they could effectively defend themselves and return fire on the enemy positions."
 
"His actions were instrumental in gaining fire superiority and the survival of his team," the citation says.
 
Lobraico, a resident of Sherman, Connecticut and a graduate of New Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Connecticut, is the only member of the New York Air National Guard to die while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
 
Thirty-two members of the New York Army National Guard have been killed in action or died in a combat zone since Sept. 11, 2001. Nine of those deaths were in Afghanistan and 23 were in Iraq.
 
The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m.
 
Members of the Media interested in covering the event should e-mail 105aw.publicaffairs@ang.af.mil no later than 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 11 for access to this secure military facility.