Warrior embrace

Senior Airman Tre Porfirio hugs a fellow 88th Communications Squadron “combat nerd” Feb. 18, 2010 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. About 300 Airmen, civilian employees and members of neighboring communities were on hand to welcome Porfirio home following his ground-breaking islet cell transplant surgery and 3-month recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He was shot in the back by an insurgent Nov. 21, 2009 while deployed with an Army unit in a remote part of Afghanistan. Airman Porfirio is a communications technician with the 88th Communications Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

'Combat Nerds' welcome home their hero

Members of the 88th Communications Group await the return of Senior Airman Tre Porfirio Feb. 18, 2010 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. About 300 of the “Combat Nerds” and other friends and community members greeted Porfirio during a welcome home ceremony. Porfirio was shot three times in the back by an insurgent Nov. 21, 2009 while deployed with an Army unit in a remote part of Afghanistan. He returned to a heroe’s welcome at Wright-Patt following a 3-month recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Airman Porfirio is a communications technician with the 88th Communications Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Combat injured Airman returns to heroe’s welcome

Senior Airman Tre Porfirio exits a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 aeromedical evacuation aircraft Feb. 18, 2010 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Porfirio was shot three times in the back by an insurgent Nov. 21, 2009 while deployed with an Army unit in a remote part of Afghanistan. He underwent a ground-breaking Thanksgiving Day surgery when doctors removed his damaged pancreas, harvested insulin-producing islet cells and infused them into his liver. He returned to Wright-Patt for a heroe’s welcome following a 3-month recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Airman Porfirio is a communications technician with the 88th Communications Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Wounded warrior returns

Col. Michael Stinson greets Senior Airman Tre Porfirio following Porfirio’s arrival Feb. 18, 2010 by a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 aeromedical evacuation aircraft at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Porfirio was shot three times in the back by an insurgent Nov. 21, 2009 while deployed with an Army unit in a remote part of Afghanistan. He returned to Wright-Patt for a heroe’s welcome following a ground-breaking surgery and 3-month recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Airman Porfirio is a communications technician with the 88th Communications Squadron. Col. Stinson is 88th Communications Group commander. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ben Strasser)

Welcome home combat nerd

Published Feb. 25, 2010
By Mike Wallace
Skywrighter Staff

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Senior Airman Tre Porfirio returned to Wright-Patterson aboard a Kentucky Air National Guard C-130 just after lunch Feb. 18. He was greeted to the roar of applause by more than 200 people, including friends, co-workers, veterans groups, and news media, inside the base operations hangar here.

Porfirio will continue his recovery at Wright-Patterson Medical Center, following a ground-breaking surgery and three months of care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after being wounded by an insurgent in Afghanistan.

November 21, last year, the 21-year-old communications technician was shot three times while deployed in Afghanistan and serving with an Army unit. His life-threatening injuries made necessary the removal of his pancreas, and eventually 11 surgeries to repair his abdomen. The pancreas was sent to the University of Miami (Fla.) where a team separated out the insulin-producing islet cells and returned them to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. There the cells were injected into Porfirio's liver where they began to produce insulin. Today they are functioning well, and Porfirio is slowly recovering.

Applause erupted from an enthusiastic crowd when Porfirio entered the hangar. A group of fellow Airmen from the 88th Communications Group held a large banner proclaiming, "Welcome Home Combat Nerd."

Greeting the wounded warrior was Lt. Gen. Thomas J. Owen, commander of Aeronautical Systems Center. Acknowledging what he called a "fantastic welcome," Owen commented on Porfirio's "tough three months," thanked the "public servants from in-theater, Germany, Walter Reed, to here." He added, "Thank you for your sacrifices." Owen also thanked the audience for its "support and prayers for all our Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines," and the many doctors "for bringing Tre home to us."

Base commander, Col. Bradley D. Spacy, recalled "getting the call you never want to get" when he learned about Porfirio's wounds. Spacy welcomed him home, wished him recovery, and thanked him for his service.

Col. Michael J. Stinson, commander of the 88th Communication Group, lauded the treatment given Porfirio by all the "medical professionals including the doctors at the University of Miami diabetes research." He also wished Porfirio a recovery so "he can get back to work."

Appearing gaunt, Porfirio thanked the people for coming, and "thanks to the doctors and my unit here." He then left for the base medical center.

Among the audience was Fire Chief Jacob King, whose wife, Staff Sgt. Heather King, was at Ramstein, Germany where she helped unload Porfirio from an airplane that came from in-theater. Another audience-member was Terri Studer who, through her contacts as a volunteer in House Minority Leader John Boehner's office, was able to arrange a visit to Germany over Christmas to enable Porfirio's father, his girlfriend, and three brothers, to see Porfirio. Two dozen members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle club made up of veterans, attended the event carrying an array of American flags. Other veterans also attended.