Silver Star recipient visits Sheppard Published July 28, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Jelani Gibson 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- An Airman looked toward the end of his enlistment and was hoping to play semi-professional baseball as his plane was grounded September 11, 2001. On that fateful day he knew he was no longer ready to retire his uniform, but what he didn't know is that his decision would lead him to earn one of the military's highest honors. Tech. Sgt. Travis Crosby, a joint terminal attack controller that was part of a group who received the Silver Star for actions in 2003, visited Sheppard to impart words of wisdom and morale to Airmen July 25, 2014. Crosby was the guest speaker at an 80th Flying Training Wing warrior call and shared his experiences with those in attendance to teach lessons about perseverance and other qualities he learned from combat. The 80th FTW is home to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, the world's only internationally manned and managed pilot training course. Currently based at the 712th Air Support Operations Squadron at Ft. Hood, Texas, Crosby also wanted to share his story to inspire and pave the way for future Airmen and fellow service members. "It was always pressed upon us that nobody has done nothing like this since Vietnam...we were told to never turn down an opportunity to tell a story to your fellow Air Force guys," he said. While many equate the Air Force with the high-flying world of aviation, Crosby wanted to show others that there are Airmen on the ground fighting as well. "The Air Force has always been the flyer's world... the Air Force does have guys that are on the ground that ride along shoulder-to-shoulder with Army, Marines and Navy special ops." Heritage was a big motivator for Crosby sharing his story with others. "One of the main things you're taught from day one in basic training is enlisted heritage," he said. "Whether we wanted to or not, by becoming Silver Star guys, we quickly are thrown into that heritage role." Regardless of the difficulty, Crosby still keeps a somber and humble attitude toward his achievement. "I've been in about ten firefights worse than that one," he recalled. "I literally made an agreement with my colonel before we left Kuwait," Crosby remembered. "I said ''If you keep all the little stuff off us, I'll keep the big stuff off of everybody else.'' As he told his story to a captive audience in the Sheppard Club, he left the auditorium to applause and Airmen that had learned from a fellow wingman.