Timothy A. Wilkinson
Retired United States Air Force pararescueman
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Timothy A. Wilkinson (born 1957) is a retired United States Air Force pararescueman who was assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron during the Battle of Mogadishu. He was awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions in 1993 while serving with Task Force Ranger. His actions were later depicted in the book Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, and its film adaptation Black Hawk Down, in which he was portrayed by Ty Burrell.
Timothy A. Wilkinson | |
|---|---|
Tim Wilkinson speaks to an audience of F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Airmen in the base theater July 2, 2015 | |
| Born | 1957 [1] |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1981-2001 |
| Rank | Master Sergeant |
| Unit | 71st Rescue Squadron, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, |
| Awards | Air Force Cross Purple Heart Defense Meritorious Service Medal Aerial Achievement Medal (3) Air Force Commendation Medal (3) Joint Services Commendation Medal Air Force Achievement Medal (2)[2] |
Early life
Wilkinson was born in Corry, Pennsylvania in 1957.
Military career
Wilkinson enlisted in the United States Air Force on January 6th, 1981. He later volunteered for pararescue training, where he passed selection and became a pararescueman. In 1988 he passed a selection process for the 24th Special Tactics Squadron. While serving in the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, he was deployed during the following; Operation Just Cause, Operation Uphold Democracy, and in Operation Gothic Serpent. At the time of the Battle of Mogadishu he was a Technical Sergeant.[3]
[4]
Battle of Mogadishu
Prior to the battle, Wilkinson was deployed to Mogadishu, as part of Task Force Ranger, which included personnel from Delta Force, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and a team from DEVGRU.
[5]
The unit was tasked with capturing leaders of the Somali National Alliance under Mohamed Farrah Aidid.
On October 3, 1993, during a mission to capture senior lieutenants of Aidid, multiple U.S. helicopters were shot down. Following the crash of a UH-60 Black Hawk, Wilkinson, along with the team from the CSAR helicopter Super 6-8 to the crash site, where they came under heavy small arms and RPG fire. During the engagement, he left cover multiple times to provide medical aid to wounded soldiers, crossing an exposed intersection under fire to reach injured Rangers. He made repeated trips to deliver medical supplies and treat casualties, actions for which he was later awarded the Air Force Cross.
Wilkinson remained with the combined Ranger and Delta Force element until they were extracted the following morning.[6]
Awards
Wilkinson's Air Force Cross reads as:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Section 8742, Title 10, United States Code, awards the Air Force Cross to Technical Sergeant Timothy A. Wilkinson for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing force as a 24th Special Tactics Squadron Pararescueman in the vicinity of the Olympic Hotel, Mogadishu, Somalia, 3 October to 4 October, 1993. During that period, in response to an incident in which a United States helicopter had been shot down by a rocket propelled grenade, Sergeant Wilkinson conducted a fast rope insertion into the crash site and came under extremely heavy enemy fire from three different directions. In the initial rescue effort, he repeatedly exposed himself to intense small arms fire and grenades to clear debris, provide emergency medical treatment to the survivors, and extract dead and wounded members of the crew from the wreckage. On his own initiative, Sergeant Wilkinson broke cover on three separate occasions to locate and provide emergency medical treatment to 3 Ranger casualties. In doing so, he ignored all concern for his personal safety to cross a 45 meter-wide open area blanketed with intense fire from small arms, and rocket propelled grenades. Sergeant Wilkinson's medical skills and uncommon valor saved the lives of multiple gravely wounded American soldiers in the longest sustained fire fight involving the United States in over 20 years. Through his extraordinary heroism, superb airmanship, and aggressiveness in the face of the enemy, Sergeant Wilkinson reflected the highest credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.[2][1]