DynCorp International police trainer James Boyd will be recognized in the “100 Faces of War Experience” portrait in honor of his actions during an insurgent attack on his outpost in Afghanistan earlier this year.
While embedded with the U.S. military, Boyd’s outpost came under fire from a group of insurgents. Boyd repeatedly braved bullets and bombs, scrambling back-and-forth across the compound to get medical bags and stretchers, lend aid and supported the team working to keep the enemy from breaching the compound wall.
According to the firm, “Boyd has supported efforts to train the Afghan border police under DI’s contract with the Department of State’s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) since Nov. 2009.”
“The civilian police mentors and trainers that we have working in Afghanistan and around the world exhibit quiet acts of heroism every day, ” said Don Ryder, DI vice president of the company’s training, mentoring and security programs. “James’ dedication to the mission and to helping others is a great example of the selfless contributions being made by those deployed overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is fitting that he will be honored in this exhibit.”
“A lot of people have asked about my efforts that day, ” Boyd said. “I’m a trained police officer and when something like this happens, while most people react by running away from danger, we are trained to run toward it and see how we can help. That is what I did.”
According to DynCorp, “the 100 Faces of War Experience is an independent exhibition being created by professional artist Matt Mitchell. It is described on the website as an exploration of the human experience of going from America abroad into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On completion, the project will include 100 portraits people who have gone on this journey. Each portrait is accompanied by a written statement made by the person pictured. Participants are selected based upon their ability to contribute to the widest understanding of the American experience of these wars. Most of the participants served in the U.S. military, but 10 positions have been reserved for those representing American civilian roles.”
