Nellis honors airman killed by IED

Mikey, as his friends called him, was made of the stuff "The Hurt Locker" movie was about. He had one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: to keep roadside bombs in Afghanistan from blowing up American troops.

On Friday, Nellis Air Force Base paid tribute to Senior Airman Michael John Buras. He was killed Sept. 21 in Kandahar by an undetected IED, or improvised explosive device, on a mission with his team to render two other bombs safe.

"I don't have any doubt he died doing what he loved," Capt. Lee Turcotte told family, friends and airmen of the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron, who packed the Nellis chapel.

They remembered him as a wise-cracking but dedicated 23-year-old journeyman bomb technician from Fitzgerald, Ga.

"Mike could push buttons better than anyone I've ever known," said Master Sgt. Kieran Flynn, describing Buras as a brother in arms "who continually made me laugh throughout the day."

"He was so involved. So motivated. One thing that stood out about Mikey was his incredible spirit."

A film clip projected on a screen inside the chapel showed Buras being interviewed by CNN two weeks before his deployment to get his perspective on the Academy Award winning film. He received a Purple Heart medal in 2009 for injuries from an IED that exploded near his armored vehicle during the second of his three deployments.

Buras was buried Oct. 6 at Andersonville National Cemetery in Georgia, where he grew up. He was born July 28, 1987 in Tifton, Ga., and graduated from Fitzgerald High School in 2005. He was an avid soccer player, and his name is in the Who's Who of Georgia Soccer.

On Friday, his commander, Lt. Col. Mark McCloud, clipped three medals to his helmet as it rested on the butt of an inverted rifle. He was awarded a Bronze Star with "V" for valor, another Purple Heart, and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

The Bronze Star citation says Buras "courageously cleared a safe path to two improvised explosive devices. He identified the primary device as a booby-trap targeting his team."

While the team moved in to clear that IED, a third bomb that was hidden exploded while he guarded the area with his weapon.

McCloud said Buras fit the definition of a hero, because among other attributes, he was "one that shows great courage."

"My definition is simple: Senior Airman Michael J. Buras," McCloud said. "A friend and an airman who served his country with great pride and enthusiasm."

Buras is survived by his wife, Emily; daughter, Maddison; father, John Buras; mother, Joy Buras; and two sisters, Samantha and Michele.