C000063

Round shaped, enameled coin with a bronze colored edge, 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

SIDE 1 -

SIDE 2 -

In the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2005, the first combat patrols of Operation Desert Safeside left the northern perimeter of Balad Air Base, Iraq, and began an aggressive 60-day combat operation to kill or capture insurgents attacking the air base. This was a historic mission for Air Force security forces. It was bold, put Airmen at risk, and the stakes were high. We knew the results of Operations Desert Safeside would have far-reaching implications on the future of Air Force security forces as a credible ground combat force.

Operation Desert Safeside was carried out by the men and women of Task Force 1041. Specially built around a squadron of the 820th Security Forces Group, TF 1041 was led by a young security forces lieutenant colonel named Chris Bargery, chosen for his reputation as an innovative combat leader. TF 1041's designated area of operations was one of the most violent areas in the region, roughly 10 kilometers wide and 6 deep, from the Balad perimeter fence to the Tigris River.