For Richard Cicero, U.S. Central Command is becoming a familiar, and welcome place to visit.
On Friday, the Weeki Wachee resident and former U.S. Army Special Forces member and military contractor will receive the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom in the Central Command Reception Center on MacDill Air Force Base.
The medal was established to acknowledge civilian employees of the Department of Defense who are killed or wounded in the line of duty
As a military contractor, Cicero was working as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Dog Handler assigned to Task Force-Kandahar C-IED (Canadian Armed Forces) when he was wounded in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan on Aug. 4, 2010, according to a Centcom media release. He was on a patrol when he stepped on an IED, resulting in the loss of his right arm and leg.
The ceremony will mark the second time Cicero has been honored at Centcom.
Two years ago, Cicero received the Canadian Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation for taking “critical steps to help our critically wounded soldier and secure the helicopter landing zone for the evacuation,” said Canadian Forces Col. Paul Keddy at the time.
“During an IED attack against Mr. Cicero’s team, he took immediate action to clear the surrounding area of secondary explosive devices, exposing himself to the enemy and extreme danger,” Keddy said, before presenting Cicero with the commendation.
One of the Canadian soldiers, Cpl. Mark Hoogendoorn, lost one of his legs below the knee, but thanks to Cicero, he was “reunited with his family and actually continues to serve in uniform and pursue a very promising career in the Canadian Armed Forces,” Keddy said at the time.
Four days after helping to save Hoogendoorn, while out on patrol again, with the team and his K-9, Nancy, Cicero triggered an IED. losing his right leg above the knee and his right arm above the elbow.
The event is closed to the general public.
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PHOTO: Canadian Army Col. Paul Keddy presents a Canadian Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation to Richard Cicero, an Army veteran who helped save the life of a Canadian soldier in 2010 when he was working with the Canadian military as a contractor, as Marine Maj. Gen. William D. Beydler looks on. Cicero’s service dog, Soldat, lays down on the stage. FILE – See more at: http://www2.tbo.com/list/military-news/centcom-to-honor-weeki-wachee-man-injured-in-afghanistan-20150909/#sthash.OZcQaL8k.dpuf