• Dakota Meyer – awarded the Medal of Honor
• Leroy Arthur Petry – awarded the Medal of Honor
• David A. Provencher – awarded the Silver Star
• William W. Rollins – awarded the Silver Star
• Women Warriors in Afghanistan

Sgt. -then Cpl.- Dakota Meyer while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Ganjgal Village, Kunar province, Afghanistan. Meyer will be receiving the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor, from President Barack Obama in Washington, Sept. 15, making him the first living Marine recipient since the Vietnam War. Meyer was assigned to Embedded Training Team 2-8 advising the Afghan National Army in the eastern provinces bordering Pakistan. He will be awarded for heroic actions in Ganjgal, Afghanistan, Sept. 8, 2009.

Removed from an ambushed platoon of Marines and soldiers in a remote Afghan village on Sept. 8, 2009, his reality viciously shaken by an onslaught of enemy fighters, Cpl. Dakota Meyer simply reacted as he knew best — tackling what he called “extraordinary circumstances” by “doing the right thing … whatever it takes.”

Nearly two years later, the White House announced Aug. 12, 2011, the 23-year-old Marine scout sniper from Columbia, Ky., who has since left the Marine Corps, will become the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor in 38 years. Retired Sgt. Maj. Allan Kellogg, Jr. received the medal in 1973 for gallantry in Vietnam three years earlier.

Meyer is the second Marine to receive the medal for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. Cpl. Jason Dunham was awarded the medal posthumously for covering a grenade with his body to save two Marines in Iraq in 2004. President Barack Obama will present the award to Meyer at the White House, Sept. 15.

“The award honors the men who gave their lives that day, and the men who were in that fight,” Meyer said. “I didn’t do anything more than any other Marine would. I was put in an extraordinary circumstance, and I just did my job.”

Though bleeding from shrapnel wounds in his right arm, Meyer, aided by fellow Marines and Army advisors from Embedded Training Team 2-8, braved a vicious hail of enemy machine-gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire in the village of Ganjgal to help rescue and evacuate more than 15 wounded Afghan soldiers, and recover the bodies of four fallen fighters — 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, Gunnery Sgts. Aaron Kenefick and Edwin Johnson Jr., and Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class James Layton.

ETT advisor Army Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., Oct. 7, 2009, from wounds sustained in the firefight.

Meyer charged through the battle zone five times to recover the dead Marines and injured Afghan soldiers, risking his life even when a medical evacuation helicopter wouldn’t land because of the blazing gunfire.

“There’s not a day — not a second that goes by where I don’t think about what happened that day,” Meyer said. “I didn’t just lose four Marines that day; I lost four brothers.”

Sgt. Dakota Meyer with a DShK machine gun.

Author Bing West, a retired Marine infantry officer and combat veteran of Vietnam, detailed Meyer’s actions in the battle in “The Wrong War,” and praised Meyer for taking command of the battle as a corporal — the most junior advisor in this firefight.

West said Meyer should have been killed, but he dominated the battlefield by fearlessly exposing himself to danger and pumping rifle and machine gun rounds into the enemy fighters.

“When you leave the perimeter, you don’t know what’s going to happen, regardless of what war you’re fighting in,” Kellogg, who lives in Kailua, Hawaii, said. “Once you get to a point where you make the decision — ‘I’m probably going to die, so let the party begin’ — once you say in your mind you aren’t getting out of there, you fight harder and harder.”

Beginning his career with the same regiment from which Kellogg retired in 1990, Meyer deployed with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, to Fallujah, Iraq, in 2007, and earned a meritorious promotion to corporal in late 2008 after returning from the deployment.

Before leaving for Iraq, Meyer completed the Marine Corps’ 10-week Scout Sniper Basic Course, and committed himself to preparing himself and his snipers for combat. They attended lifesaving classes taught by Navy corpsmen and honed their skills with myriad weapons systems, such as light machine guns. Meyer also spent time in his battalion’s communications section learning how to call for mortar and artillery fire.

“I devoted my whole life to making the best snipers in the Marine Corps,” Meyer said. “They’re a direct reflection of your leadership. If you fail them in training, it could get them killed on the battlefield.”

In February 2009, Meyer volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan’s dangerous Kunar province and mentor Afghan soldiers as part of an embedded training team, the type of role usually filled by U.S. Special Forces.

“A Marine who seeks the challenge of joining his unit’s scout sniper platoon has to have a lot of drive and determination,” said Col. Nathan Nastase, commanding officer of 3rd Marine Regiment and formerly Meyer’s battalion commander at 3/3. “Being assigned to the ETT was a huge vote of confidence in his abilities.”

Meyer deployed to Afghanistan on the ETT in July 2009.

“Our mission was to help prepare the Afghans to take over their own country and provide security for themselves,” Meyer said. “ETTs make a huge impact on the outcome of the war.”

In Kunar province, Meyer and another ETT advisor would lead squads of 15 Afghan soldiers on patrols. Since he could speak Pashto, the local language, so well, Meyer often separated from the element with his Afghan trainees.

When his patrol fought to rescue another from an ambush Sept. 8, 2009, Meyer’s focus on advising gave way to surviving, and on what he had to do to keep himself and his men alive.

“I lost a lot of Afghans that day,” Meyer said. “And I’ll tell you right now — they were just as close to me as those Marines were. At the end of the day, I don’t care if they’re Afghans, Iraqis, Marines or Army; it didn’t matter. They’re in the same shit you are, and they want to go home and see their family just as bad as you do.”

Thrown into unimaginable circumstances, Meyer said the Afghan soldiers and his sniper training “saved my life” during the battle.

Jacody Downey is a close friend of Meyer’s from Kentucky. He’s seen his friend grow from a fun-loving “jokester” in high school to a driven Marine who deeply respected both elders and subordinates.

“Dakota has always cared more about others than he does himself,” Downey said. “Even if he’s not with his Marines now, he’s still constantly thinking about them, worrying about them and calling to check on them. He still considers them brothers.”

Cpl. David Hawkins grew as a Marine under Meyer’s leadership in 3/3’s Scout Sniper Platoon.

“Meyer was an ideal leader,” Hawkins, from Parker, Colo., said. “He knew everything about the Marines underneath him — how they’d respond to every situation, not only on a Marine Corps level but also on a personal level.”

Hawkins said he was deeply humbled by Meyer’s concern as a friend, especially after being injured in Afghanistan last year. Hawkins was severely wounded by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan Sept. 24, 2010. Four days later, he lay static in a stark hospital room, riddled with shrapnel. After groggily emerging from anesthesia into a blurry reality, Hawkins’ phone rang — the first call from a friend. Without fail, Meyer’s jovial drawl broke through the speaker.

“In the Marine Corps, you always hear that if something’s broke, you’ve got to work to fix it, but you never really see the Marine who does it,” Hawkins said. “Meyer is that Marine. If he had something to say, he’d say it, and he wasn’t really afraid of repercussions for what he said. If it needed to be changed, he changed it.”

Hearing his friend would receive the Medal of Honor didn’t surprise Hawkins. In light of the “character” and “country boy” Hawkins knows, Meyer’s actions were simply the manifestation of how he lived and led.

“Meyer was destined for the Medal of Honor,” Hawkins said. “If you got to work with him, you’d see it.”

At the conclusion of his speech to 350 faculty and staff in Green County High School, Greensburg, Ky., Dakota Meyer, 23, watches them as they leave, Aug. 3. Photo by Sgt. James SheaSmall RSS Icon

Meyer completed his tour on active duty last June. He went home to Kentucky, where he’s found purpose working with his hands in a family business.

“Pouring concrete is kind of like the Marine Corps,” Meyer said. “When you wake up in the morning, you’ve got a job … like a mission. There’s no set standard on how to do things, but you just have to go out there, make decisions and get it done — and that’s like the challenge of the Marine Corps. Once you’re satisfied with what you’ve done, you stop getting better.”

Meyer is the 86th living Medal of Honor recipient, and he joins a small, elite group of heroes, a reality that will often require him to conjure up haunting reminders of the battles he has fought, the friends he has lost and the painful regret he bears.

“I’m not a hero, by any means — I’m a Marine, that’s what I am,” he said. “The heroes are the men and women still serving, and the guys who gave their lives for their country. At the end of the day, I went in there to do the right thing … and it all boils down to doing the right thing … whatever it takes. All those things we learn stick in your head, and when you live by it, that’s the Marine way.”

Though Meyer will receive the Medal of Honor for what he did in Ganjgal, he insists he will wear the five-pointed medallion and blue silk ribbon to honor his fallen brothers, their families and his fellow Marines.

“Being a Marine is a way of life,” Meyer said. “It isn’t just a word, and it’s not just about the uniform — it’s about brotherhood. Brotherhood means that when you turn around, they’re there, through thick and thin. If you can’t take care of your brothers, what can you do in life?”

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Reece Lodder

They are men used to seeing their deeds pass as unrecognized as their battlefield movements, but Monday five National Guard and one active duty special forces soldier took the limelight here to receive a French award roughly equivalent to the Silver Star.

The six were honored with the Croix de la Valeur Militaire in a private ceremony at the French ambassador’s residence attended by senior leaders including Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Army chief of staff nominated to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Army Maj. Gen. Timothy Kadavy, deputy director of the Army National Guard.

“I am deeply honored to … pay tribute to six most outstanding American soldiers from the United States Army and the Army National Guard who distinguished themselves while fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida elements in Afghanistan,” said French Ambassador François Delattre.

“Through their outstanding bravery and engagement in combat, they fought at the risk of their own lives to assist French soldiers, their brothers in arms, who experienced a barrage of fire from the enemy.”

The five National Guard soldiers supported a French regiment executing a mission in and around the Uzbeen Valley in Afghanistan in 2009; the active duty soldier was recognized for similarly heroic action in the same region a year earlier.

“They were trying to get at the French operating in the valley,” said Army National Guard Capt. Thomas Harper, one of the awardees. “We prevented that from happening, allowing them to conduct their mission.”

Created in 1956 by the French government to reward extraordinary deeds of bravery carried out as part of security and law enforcement operations, the Croix de la Valeur Militaire – or French Cross of Military Valor – is one of the most respected decorations in the French military, Delattre said.

Those recognized Monday:

* Active duty Army Maj. Richard Nessel of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

“Your courage honors you as well as your country; your exemplary service deserves to be commended,” Delattre told him.

* Army National Guard Capt. Thomas Harper; Master Sgt. David Nuemer; Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Ahern; Staff Sgt. Casey Roberts; Sgt. Ryan Meister.

“You demonstrated the highest military qualities and sense of duty,” Delattre told them. “You distinguished yourselves.”Your outstanding conduct alongside French forces, … your remarkable bravery in the face of danger in the combat zone, and your superb combatant qualities deserve to be commended.”

“It’s a huge honor for all of us,” said Harper, a traditional Guard member who has been on active duty most of the last decade and was joined Monday by his parents and sisters. “They’re completely overwhelmed,” he said. “We don’t normally look for this kind of recognition; I don’t think they’ve ever even been to one of my military school graduations.”

The recognition of the Guard members reflects the Guard’s contributions to the total force, Dempsey said.

“The last three award ceremonies I’ve been to happen to have been National Guard soldiers,” he said. “We’re really one Army. It’s a signal that, as we go forward in a new fiscal environment, we have to maintain faith with all three components of our Army – active, Guard and Reserve.

“It’s a great credit to the young men and women who serve. I couldn’t be more proud of our Army in general – but tonight is a night for five of these six soldiers in particular who happen to be National Guard.”

The National Guard has special forces in 18 states. While they train and deploy just as active duty soldiers, Guard members must also balance civilian lives and careers. There are five active duty special forces groups and two in the National Guard.

“We’re in the right place at the wrong time,” quipped Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Steven Duff, deputy commander, U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne). “We’re everywhere. We can do whatever is necessary, and it shows that the caliber of our soldiers are just as good as anybody else.

“We are part of the operational force. Given the proper predictability in our force generation model, we can accomplish any mission that’s given.”

“It says a lot about our units and our dedication to duty and the training that we’ve undergone, as well as the maturity of our soldiers,” Harper said.

“It’s a great honor,” said Ahern, a laser physicist in his civilian career who has spent four of the last 10 years deployed or recovering from combat-related injuries.

Ahern’s parents, wife and daughter accompanied him. “They see the newspaper stories,” he said. “They hear abstract descriptions of what you’ve done. But they don’t really see it firsthand, nor do they see recognition, so this is a really good opportunity.”

A full narrative of the exact events that earned the six their awards Monday cannot be shared here.

But there is one: It tells of men surrounded, wildly outnumbered and pinned down for hours. Of men who fought on despite severe injuries. Of lifesaving buddy aid under withering, accurate fire – and of declined opportunities to be medically evacuated in order to stay in the fight until the last man was out safe.

None of the Green Berets mentioned any of this Monday.

The silent professionals stepped briefly into the light to accept honors; said almost nothing of battles fought in Afghanistan and in hospitals; shook hands with senior leaders who had come to thank them and, by extension, all they serve alongside; shared the moment with parents, wives and children who rarely get to share what they do – and slipped back into the night as modestly and quietly as they arrived.

“We had kind of a tough fight those last few days in Afghanistan,” Harper said. “We were just happy to be alive. We really didn’t expect this kind of honor. It’s pretty overwhelming, I’ll tell you.

“We’re very quiet in what we do. We don’t expect recognition. We don’t look for it. This has been a little much for us today, … but we’re happy that we could be here and that the French felt they could give us this extreme honor.”

Among those present: Navy Adm. Eric Olson, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Army Lt. Gen. John Mulholland, commanding general, U.S. Army Special Operations Command; Army Lt. Gen, Richard Zahner, deputy chief of staff for intelligence.

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill

Dakota Meyer

Navy Times:

Dakota Meyer was contacted by President Obama on Monday, according to sources with knowledge of the award. He will be the first living Marine recipient of the nation’s highest award for valor since now-retired Sgt. Maj. Allan Kellogg received the medal for actions 41 years ago in Vietnam. Only two living recipients — both soldiers — have received the award for actions in Iraq and Afghanistan: Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta and Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry.

Marine Times:

Meyer was recommended for his actions on Sept. 8, 2009, near the village of Ganjgal in Kunar province. He charged into a kill zone on foot and alone to find three missing Marines and a Navy corpsman who had been pinned down under enemy fire for hours by about 150 well-armed insurgents. Already wounded by shrapnel before braving enemy fire, he found them dead and stripped of their gear and weapons, and carried them out of the kill zone with the help of Afghan soldiers, according to military documents obtained by Marine Corps Times.

Marine Times:

Pinned down at dawn in a kill zone and running low on ammunition, the company-sized patrol made an urgent plea from a remote spot in eastern Afghanistan: Send help.

Then they made it again. And again. And again.

Nearly two hours after the initial call for help, helicopter air support arrived — but not before the unit took heavy casualties. The delay occurred because Army officers back at the tactical operations center refused to send help and failed to notify higher commands that they had troops in trouble. In the end, three Marines, a Navy corpsman and a soldier were dead, along with eight Afghan troops and an interpreter.

Lt. Col. Phil Appleton, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, congratulates Spc. Christopher Soderholm, a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle driver for F Company, 3rd Battalion, and a native of Baker City, Ore., during a July 4 Bronze Star Medal ceremony at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Photo by Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell

Indecision often haunts the heart of combat.

Inside the chaos of crisis, where the standard definitions of time distorts and overlaps, uncertainty rules and often a moment of hesitation translates into tragedy.

Yet for Spc. Christopher Soderholm, a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle driver for Foxtrot Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command and a native of Baker City, Ore., his calm resolution proved to be the difference the night he saved his gunner in the wake of an improvised explosive device detonation.

What Soderholm did that night and how he did it was brought into sharp focus July 5 when he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, for his actions when the MRAP he was driving hit an IED.

Even now, months later, Soderholm said he still struggles to accurately express what occurred during the incident.

“It is hard to describe,” he said.

The night of the IED strike, Soderholm said his crew was almost back to JBB on what he called a routine mission.

“It was just another mission,” he said. “I was thinking about getting back and getting maintenance done.”

In a burst of light Soderholm’s vehicle was hit by the blast of an IED.

As Soderholm brought the big MRAP to a stop he said muscle memory took over. Behind him, Spc. Maximillian Miller, an MRAP gunner for F Company and a native of Dundee, Ore., appeared to be injured. Soderholm acted quickly as he stopped the MRAP.

“I pulled Miller out before I opened the door,” Soderholm said.

Soderholm carried Miller out of the MRAP and away from the vehicle. He then turned around and ran back to the vehicle, grabbed a fire extinguisher and started to fight a fire that had broken out from the vehicle.

The action of carrying his gunner out of the MRAP after the IED explosion happened in a flash for Soderholm. He said there was little forethought involved in the action.

“When it is your buddy in there you don’t hesitate,” he said. “I pulled him out of that truck on instinct.”

Miller and Staff Sgt. Tony Cox, the MRAP truck commander and a native of Redmond, Ore., both returned to duty shortly after the incident.

Soderholm said the training he received before the battalion departed the United States was the primary factor in his actions.

“I used to get mad at Gowen Field, [Idaho] or Camp Shelby, [Mississippi] with some of the training. Then I got thrown into the real world, and all that training created muscle memory,” he said.

Soderholm also said he can now relate to the stories he’s read or heard regarding soldiers making the ultimate sacrifice to help a comrade.

“When something like that happens, you know, you jump on that grenade for your buddy. I understand [now] why people do that,” he said.

Maj. Jason Lambert, the executive officer for F Co. and a native of Hermiston, Ore., said Soderholm’s performance that night was outstanding.

“I think he captures the essence of what makes a great Cavalry trooper. A soldier who steps up like that has a huge impact on the entire unit through his example. It sets the tone,” said Lambert.

“I’m extremely proud of Chris Soderholm. He is a very brave kid,” said Capt. Max Arvidson, the commander of F Company and a native of Parma, Idaho.

A quiet, reserved soldier, Soderholm said he is pleased he was awarded the Bronze Star medal but added he was simply doing his duty.

“I was able to do what I was supposed to do when I needed to. I’m proud I was able to do my job,” he said.

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Patrick Caldwell

November 6, 2009, was a typical day for the men of Company F., 2^nd Marine Special Operations Battalion. With about a week remaining in their tour in Afghanistan, they had been tasked with recovering the bodies of two fellow Marines who had drowned in a nearby river. They entered the town of Bala Murghab, in Badghis province, knowing that there would be a fight.

Hospital Corpsman First Class Amilcar Rodriguez described that day to the Marine Times.

Rodriguez, a Navy corpsman assigned to the Marine force, several Marines and the Afghan commandos that they were mentoring took positions on a rooftop. Almost immediately they came under accurate and intense sniper fire. Rodriguez was called to attend to a wounded Marine and two wounded Afghans.

Rodriguez used his SAW weapon to deadly effect, firing nearly 200 rounds and silencing the Taliban sniper team. He then moved to aid the wounded. As he worked, he felt three blows to his body. An enemy round had pierced his chest and struck a lung. Another had hit his right arm. A third struck him in the neck.

The citation for his Silver Star records that he continued to try to treat the other wounded, and provided direction to Marines and other corpsmen after being moved from the roof.It continues “By his bold initiative, undaunted courage, and complete dedication to duty, Hospital Corpsman First Class Rodriguez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.”

Corpsman Rodriguez had been awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds. His arm injury required several surgeries and physical therapy. He has regained use and sensation.

Amilcar Rodriguez joined the United States Navy in 1998 after his graduation from an Avon CT high school. He currently instructs other Special Operations medics at the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center at Fort Bragg, NC. In 2009 he was named MARSOC Medic of the Year. Rodriguez is married and has one son.

The word “hero” has often come to mean someone who just happened to be present at a disaster. That diminishes the term, when it truly applies to men and women like Hospital Corpsman First Class Amilcar Rodriguez. The Silver Star is the third highest award for valor in battle that a sailor can receive, preceded only by the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. Heroes such as Amilcar Rodriguez deserve our admiration, our thanks and our respect. A medal is just a small symbol of what America owes such heroes.

The White House announced May 31 that Staff Sgt. Leroy A. Petry, now serving as part of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., will receive the Medal of Honor. Photo through U.S. Army

An Army Ranger who lost his right hand and suffered shrapnel wounds after throwing an armed grenade away from his fellow Soldiers will be the second living Medal of Honor Recipient from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On July 12th, President Barack Obama will award Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Arthur Petry, with the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. Petry will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during combat operations against an armed enemy in Paktya, Afghanistan, May 26, 2008.

Petry now serves as part of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga.

“It’s very humbling to know that the guys thought that much of me and my actions that day, to nominate me for that,” said Petry, on learning he had been nominated for the medal.

At the time of his actions in Afghanistan, Petry was assigned to Company A, 2nd Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Petry’s actions came as part of a rare daylight raid to capture a high-value target.

On the day of the actions that would earn Petry the Medal of Honor, he was to locate himself with the platoon headquarters in the target building once it was secured. Once there, he was to serve as the senior noncommissioned officer at the site for the remainder of the operation.

Recognizing one of the assault squads needed assistance clearing their assigned building, Petry relayed to the platoon leader that he was moving to that squad to provide additional supervision and guidance during the clearance of the building.

Once the residential portion of the building had been cleared, Petry took a fellow member of the assault squad, Pvt. 1st Class Lucas Robinson, to clear the outer courtyard. Petry knew that area had not been cleared during the initial clearance.

Petry and Robinson, both Rangers, moved into an area of the compound that contained at least three enemy fighters who were prepared to engage friendly forces from opposite ends of the outer courtyard.

The two Soldiers entered the courtyard. To their front was an opening followed by a chicken coop. As the two crossed the open area, an enemy insurgent fired on them. Petry was wounded by one round, which went through both of his legs. Robinson was also hit in his side plate by a separate round.

While wounded and under enemy fire, Petry led Robinson to the cover of the chicken coop. The enemy continued to deliver fire at the two Soldiers.

As the senior Soldier, Petry assessed the situation and reported that contact was made and that there were two wounded Rangers in the courtyard of the primary target building.

Upon hearing the report of two wounded Rangers, Sgt. Daniel Higgins, a team leader, moved to the outer courtyard. As Higgins was moving to Petry and Robinson’s position, Petry threw a thermobaric grenade in the vicinity of the enemy position.

Shortly after that grenade exploded — which created a lull in the enemy fire — Higgins arrived at the chicken coop and assessed the wounds of the two Soldiers.

While Higgins evaluated their wounds, an insurgent threw a grenade over the chicken coop at the three Rangers. The grenade landed about 10 meters from the three Rangers, knocked them to the ground, and wounded Higgins and Robinson. Shortly after the grenade exploded, Staff Sgt. James Roberts and Spc. Christopher Gathercole entered the courtyard, and moved toward the chicken coop.

With three Soldiers taking cover in the chicken coop, an enemy fighter threw another grenade at them. This time, the grenade landed just a few feet from Higgins and Robinson.

Recognizing the threat that the enemy grenade posed to his fellow Rangers, Petry — despite his own wounds and with complete disregard for his personal safety — consciously and deliberately risked his life to move to and secure the live enemy grenade and consciously throw the grenade away from his fellow Rangers, according to battlefield reports.

As Petry released the grenade in the direction of the enemy, preventing the serious injury or death of Higgins and Robinson, it detonated and catastrophically amputated his right hand.

With a clear mind, Petry assessed his wound and placed a tourniquet on his right arm. Once this was complete, he reported that he was still in contact with the enemy and that he had been wounded again.

After the blast that amputated Petry’s hand, Roberts began to engage the enemy behind the chicken coop with small arms fire and a grenade. His actions suppressed the insurgents behind the chicken coop. Shortly after, another enemy on the east end of the courtyard began firing, fatally wounding Gathercole.

Higgins and Robinson returned fire and killed the enemy.

Moments later, Sgt. 1st Class Jerod Staidle, the platoon sergeant, and Spc. Gary Depriest, the platoon medic, arrived in the outer courtyard. After directing Depriest to treat Gathercole, Staidle moved to Petry’ s position. Staidle and Higgins then assisted Petry as he moved to the casualty collection point.

Higgins later wrote in a statement, “if not for Staff Sergeant Petry’s actions, we would have been seriously wounded or killed.”

Petry is the ninth servicemember to have been named a recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Of prior recipients, all but Petry and Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta were awarded the honor posthumously.

Included among those recipients are Spc. Ross A. McGinnis, Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, and Marine Corps Cpl. Jason L. Dunham, all for actions in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, Staff Sgt. Robert Miller, Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti and Navy Lt. Michael P. Murphy were awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan.

Petry currently serves as a liaison officer for the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition-Northwest Region, and provides oversight to wounded warriors, ill and injured servicemembers and their families.

He enlisted in the United States Army from his hometown of Santa Fe, N.M. in September 1999. After completion of One Station Unit Training, the Basic Airborne Course and the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program — all at Fort Benning, Ga. — Petry was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Petry has served as a grenadier, squad automatic rifleman, fire team leader, squad leader, operations sergeant, and weapons squad leader.

He has deployed eight times in support of the War on Terror with two tours to Iraq and six tours to Afghanistan.

Petry and his wife Ashley have four children, Brittany, Austin, Reagan and Landon.

U.S. Army

White House Press Release

On July 12th, President Barack Obama will award Sergeant First Class Leroy Arthur Petry, U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry.  Sergeant First Class Petry will receive the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during combat operations against an armed enemy in Paktya, Afghanistan in May, 2008.  He will be the second living, active duty service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Sergeant First Class Petry’s wife, Ashley, and other family members will join the President at the White House to commemorate his example of selfless service.

PERSONAL BACKGROUND:

Leroy Arthur Petry was born on July 29, 1979.  He is a native of Santé Fe, New Mexico and enlisted in the United States Army in September 1999.  He attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia.  Sergeant First Class Petry is currently assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment and attached to Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with duty at Joint Base Lewis McChord as a liaison for the SOCOM Care Coalition where he tracks and monitors injured Rangers returning from the Theater of Operations to the initial place of care to home station care.

Sergeant First Class Petry has completed multiple combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq totaling 28 months of deployment.

His military decorations include: two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, three Army Good Conduct Medals,  Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Combat Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Combat Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, to name a few.

Cpl. Zachary D. Byron, a pashto linguist with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force, stands at attention as he is awarded the Bronze Star with a combat distinguishing device and the Purple Heart, May 20. Byron was shot twice and continued to translate enemy communication while falling in and out of consciousness allowing his squad to avert an enemy assault. Photo by Sgt. Marcy Sanchez

A Marine with I Marine Expeditionary Force, received a Bronze Star with combat distinguishing device during an awards ceremony here, May 20.

Cpl. Zachary D. Byron, a Pashto linguist currently assigned to 1st Radio Battalion, was presented the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for actions while serving with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in November 2010.

Byron’s squad was caught in an enemy ambush in the vicinity Durzay, Afghanistan located in southern Helmand province.

“You can never simulate that kind of environment ever again,” said Byron, from Marion, N.Y. “It was a wakeup call for all of us. When the guy in front of me got hit I couldn’t see him, but I heard him yelling. I immediately got up and moved toward him.”

Byron, 23, was shot in the wrist and thigh as he tried to render aid on the injured Marine in front of him.

Cpl. Zachary D. Byron, a pashto linguist with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force, was awarded the Bronze Star with a combat distinguishing device and the Purple Heart, May 20. Photo by Sgt. Marcy Sanchez

“When I got shot in my leg everything kind of stopped,” Byron said. “I got a feeling of straight fear — fear that things were going to get a lot worse.”

As he fell in and out of consciousness from blood loss, he continued to translate enemy communications, allowing the squad to avert another assault.

“I had a sense of loyalty to my job and my troops to make sure I didn’t fail them,” Byron said.

Sgt. Maj. Albert Diaz, the sergeant major of 1st Radio Bn., complimented Byron’s humbling personality and wasn’t surprised to hear of his heroic actions.

“He is always going out of his way to help somebody,” Diaz said. “He is always sought out for advice.”

Sgt. Michael J. McCabe said the Bronze Star is well deserved and is witness to Byron’s outstanding performance.

“He’s very selfless when it comes to his job and accomplishing his tasks,” said McCabe, a team trainer with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Radio Bn., who served as Byron’s team leader in Afghanistan. “I don’t think there’s enough you can say about his performance. He’s by far the best Marine I’ve ever worked with.”

“It’s a great honor, not just for me, but for 1st Radio Bn.,” Byron said. “There were a lot of Marines in the squad whose actions encouraged me to push on.”

The Bronze Star is awarded for the fourth highest award received for combat actions in the U.S. Armed Forces.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Marcy Sanchez

Here are some excerpts and links to stories about a number of heroes from the War on Terror. All deserve our thanks. Follow the link at the end of each item for more information.

Staff Sergeant Michael Bock – Silver Star

Bock was honored for his service at a ceremony in Bellevue, NE. Bock served his country and was killed fighting in Afghanistan back in August. His commanding officer described him as a hero.

“But what makes a hero? You are not born with it. In my opinion. No way. You train, it is installed from mom and dad values and courage. Then you marry it. Serving others while serving one self can be noble. But a special type of nobility attaches itself to those who serve others at a cost to themselves. That can define with hero means but Michael Bock was a hero,” said Lt. Col. Bain.

Fox 42 News

On March 7, 2010, Private Cook was killed on a remote mountain in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit.

“The mission that we had to do was important, and it turned to tragedy when he fell,” says Sgt. First Class James Pozin, who was Private Cook’s platoon leader.

Sgt. Pozin says Cook wasn’t with their platoon for long, but that he left an impression on the men he served with.

“I think everyone in that squad calls him a friend or a brother,” says Pozin. “His leadership loved him. I enjoyed having him on the missions I was on.”

NBC montana.com

Capt. Matthew Martin and his wife, Michelle, pose in their Hampstead home.

Capt. Matthew Martin – Bronze Star with V (second award)

The story of how he earned the two medals reflects how warfare has evolved in recent years. The first was for his part in actions to capture and hold two bridges in Iraq, a combat story that could almost have come from the World War II movie “Saving Private Ryan.”

The second Bronze Star, which he expects to receive next month, is for the how he led a company into a lawless area of Afghanistan, destroying poppy fields and holding meetings, or “shuras,” with village elders.

Star News online

“I’ll never forget that day,” Vandesande said. “It was my first patrol in Afghanistan. We were returning home to our base when they came up behind us. Two of my Marines were hit and both went down. They called for me and that was pretty much it.”

One of the Marines had been shot in the right thigh and again in his left thigh, shattering his femur, Vandesande said. The other was hit with shrapnel in the back of the head.

Under heavy enemy fire and unable to move the injured Marines, Vandesande stayed with them and treated their injuries as best he could until a medical evacuation helicopter arrived.

“I was kind of in the middle of it all,” Vandesande said. “So I pulled them about 10 or 15 feet into a ditch and waited for everyone to catch up.”

Both Marines survived, according to the citation.

Island Packet

We’ve gathered a number of stories about women who are in the fight in Afghanistan. Some are Americans. Some are not. They all deserve a salute from us for their bravery and good work! Follow the link to the original story for more information.

L/Cpl Sophia Turner has been working with Afghan police while on a tour of duty in Central Helmand

L/Cpl Turner was on a patrol close to Lashkar Gah, when she was called to help with an operation with 156 Provost Company attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade.

“As we went down there they said over the radio that I might have to arrest someone but it was only when I got there that I saw I had to arrest 17,” she said.

“It was a lot for me to do as the only military police officer on the scene and I was exhausted at the end of it.”

LCpl Turner said she had originally wanted to join South Wales Police but was too young so signed up with the Royal Military Police instead.

BBC

Army medic Cpl Isobel Henderson

A Scots army medic, from Dalbeatie, has been awarded an MBE for bravery and dedication in Afghanistan.

Corporal Isobel Henderson, 24, treated wounded British troops and Afghans at a checkpoint in Helmand province which was under constant attack.

BBC

Captain Lisa Irwin. Crown Copyright 2011

“I speak a small amount of Pashto, the local language, and was therefore able to have limited conversations. I managed to engage with 22 Afghan women.

“I am also participating in a health initiative where we train local health professionals and teachers about health education so that they can then train others. My role necessitates me moving all around our area of operations and regularly patrolling with the guys in order to be able to meet local women.”

UK Force Afghanistan

Capt. Leigh Larkin, 389th Fighter Squadron weapons system officer, leans on an F-15E Strike Eagle Feb. 17. Captain Larkin was nominated for the Mackay Trophy for a meritorious flight during a deployment in Afghanistan this past April. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Roy Lynch

“We tried one quick pass to see what was going on and to show the enemy that the Strike Eagle was there,” Captain Larkin said. “We were hoping the terrorist would clear out so the troops would be safe and there would be enough time for them to get out of the town.”

Unfortunately, the team’s plan didn’t work as they hoped as they initially couldn’t see through the clouds. When they were finally able to break the clouds, the terrorist dropped heavy fire on the ground troops in retaliation.

“I can’t tell you what it feels like hearing over the radio the crack in someone’s voice when they are being shot at or what it sounds like when the piercing of the bullet goes right by them through the mud hut they are taking cover in,” Captain Larkin said.

The captain knew she and her team needed to act fast — they needed to consider collateral damage, take out the terrorists and leave town. They began unloading bombs on the mountain sides to stop the terrorist from popping in and out of holes shooting at the ground force.

Eventually, danger close was needed, where a bomb is dropped within a certain area was someone could be incapacitated if they didn’t take enough cover.

“I had never dropped danger close in my whole life,” the captain said.

by Staff Sgt. Roy Lynch
366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force

A team of female Airmen made history here March 30 when the F-15E Strike Eagles of “Dudette 07″ blazed down the runway to provide close air support for coalition and Afghan ground forces.

The two-ship formation consisted of all females, two pilots and two weapons system officers, but more importantly, it marked the first combat mission flown from Bagram to be planned, maintained and flown entirely by females.

This mission represents the first combat sortie on record to involve only female Airmen from the pilots and weapons officers to the mission planners and maintainers, said Lt. Col. Kenneth Tilley, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing historian.

by Tech. Sgt. Michael Voss
455th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
U.S. Air Force

1st Lt. David A. Provencher, executive Officer for Bravo Company, 1-87 Infantry, is presented the Silver Star during a ceremony Jan. 26. Provencher was awarded the Silver Star for his valorous actions June 16, 2010 in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Reinsch

Shots were fired from insurgents at United States Special Operations Forces and Afghan National Army Commandos in the village of Isa Kahn in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. They radioed for a quick reaction force to assist in the fight.

1st Lt. David A. Provencher, then 4th Platoon Leader, Charlie Company, 1-87 Infantry Regiment and his team answered the call. Upon arrival at the village he dismounted and joined the SOF and ANA service members in the fight. Insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device under one of the U.S. vehicles, and Provencher reacted.

Provencher was awarded the Silver Star Jan. 26 for his valorous actions on June 16, 2010. The Silver Star is the third highest military decoration that can be awarded to a service member from any branch of the United States military for valor in the face of the enemy.

“I’ve never had a better platoon leader in my career,” said Sgt. Daniel Stein, a squad leader with 4th platoon, Charlie Company, 1-87 Infantry, Regiment. “I am working on seven years. He’s a great guy and he knew his stuff, anyone in the whole unit would have done anything for him.”

Stein was with Provencher when the event occurred and assisted him when the IED was set off. He has been recommended for the Bronze Star with Valor device for his actions that day.

“Our mission was pretty simple. We did an ANA partner mission the night before and we were just QRF [Quick Reaction Force] for the ANA Commandos and Special Forces for the next day,” said Provencher, now Executive Officer for Bravo Company. “They came under fire and were running out of ammunition and a couple of their weapon systems were breaking down. We moved up to assist them with ammo and fire-power.”

“It’s during that time they continued to push up with the route clearance patrol platoon, and their vehicle was struck by an IED. I was about 50 meters to the north of their position in an open field when the IED struck. I saw there was someone lying on the ground, so I moved over to where they were,” said Provencher.

Provencher and Stein maneuvered under direct fire from the enemy to the disabled vehicle to discover that two soldiers had been killed and three more were wounded. He provided support for the three wounded soldiers until they found cover and for one of the deceased soldiers until his remains were removed from the vehicle.

The second fallen soldier was trapped under the vehicle, and even though he was told they should come back for the soldier, Provencher led a small two-man team to the destroyed vehicle, recovered the last soldier with the use of a recovery vehicle and brought the fallen soldier back.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. David Provencher, from Ellenville, N.Y., and an infantry platoon leader with 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, from the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, receives the Silver Star Medal from Maj. Gen. James Terry, the division’s commander, during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Kunduz, in northern Afghanistan. Provencher is credited with saving the lives of three wounded soldiers and refusing to leave two others that were mortally wounded. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class John Queen

“The only instinct I felt was, believe it or not, compassion,” Provencher said. “Historically people who were put in for Silver Stars were taking out bunkers and doing all sorts of heroic stuff. I just don’t class myself among previous valor reward recipients.

“It was never a question in my mind to leave a dead or wounded soldier. What went through my mind is ‘I wouldn’t want to be left out there’ and somebody’s parents are going to ask some difficult questions someday,” he said. “They should be afforded the right to be protected, whether they’re dead or alive.”

Provencher is due to redeploy back to his home station within the next couple of months. When he returns home he wants to attend the captains course and take charge of his own company.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Michael Reinsch

Sergeant William W. Rollins -right- is congratulated by a Marine from his unit, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, during a ceremony in which Rollins was awarded the Silver Star, the Nation's third-highest award in a ceremony at the Combat Center's Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Parade Field Dec. 17, 2010. Photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Anderson

A former Combat Center Marine was awarded the Silver Star for valor in Afghanistan during a ceremony on Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Parade Field Dec. 17, 2010.

Sergeant William W. Rollins earned the nation’s third-highest award for demonstrating courage under fire in action against the enemy June 19, 2008, while serving as 1st Squad Leader, 2nd Platoon, Company G, 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

During a patrol to the village of Dowlatabad, in Balkh province Afghanistan, Rollins squad was ambushed. His squad was pinned down and could not find a way out. Rollins’ found himself on the far left of the squad and furthest from the fire. After a quick assessment, he seemed to be the only one mobile enough to create a distraction, his only hope to free his Marines from the enemy’s fire and get them to safety. With machine guns and rocket propelled grenades flying at the Marines, Rollins rushed to within 30 meters of the enemy positions, leveled his machine gun and provided suppressive fire, allowing his men to escape the immediate ambush area, according to the award citation.

Once his Marines withdrew, Rollins courageously maneuvered through enemy fire to rejoin his squad where he continued to attack the squad enemy while the squad’s wounded Marines were extracted. Then, with enemy fire still impacting around him, Rollins observed a Marine hit, rushed to his aid and dragged him to safety. Rollins aggressive actions in the face of the enemy drew fire onto his own position and provided his squad the reprieve they needed to maneuver to safety, according to the award citation.

Marines and those closest to him aboard the Combat Center attended the ceremony to honor their brother for his bravery.

“Sergeant Rollins is truly a hero, his actions are incredible and selfless,” said Lt. Col. John M. Reed, battalion commander, 2nd Bn., 7th Marines. His actions on the battlefield place him in the company of many other notable Marines in history.

Reed also noted that Rollins’ actions were taken solely to ensure the safety of his brothers on the battlefield. “The silver star is awarded to anyone who distinguishes himself in extraordinary heroism and gallantry,” Reed added.

Several of his fellow Marines said the medal was well-deserved, that Rollins bravery epitomized the values every Marine, past and present, lives by.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he got it,” said Edgar Figueroa, a former active duty Marine and friend of Rollins. “He’s a very humble guy. He would give you the shirt off his back. He is a normal guy, who got put in an extraordinary situation, did what any Marine or squad leader would do; protect his squad, even if it means his own life. I’m proud of him.”

After the ceremony, Rollins stood proud and humbled as the Silver Star hung from his chest and old friends greeted him with smiles and congratulations.

“I feel extremely honored,” Rollins said. “The only thing going through my head at the time was how can we move to cover safely. This [award] was the last thing on my mind. It is quite an honor, and it’s nice to be back.”

Rollins and his wife, Alexandra, expect a baby girl in February. He plans to enroll in a fire fighter academy in Houston.

Marine Corps
By Lance Cpl. Sarah Anderson
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant William W. Rollins, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as 1st Squad Leader, Second Platoon, Company G, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, United States Marine Corps Forces, Central Command in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 19 June 2008.

Enemy fighters ambushed Sergeant Rollins squad with a high volume of machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire from multiple prepared positions. With the majority of his squad pinned down by the accurate enemy fires, Sergeant Rollins rushed to within 30 meters of the enemy positions, in the face of almost certain death, and provided suppressive fire which allowed his men to escape the immediate ambush area.

Once his Marines withdrew, Sergeant Rollins courageously maneuvered through enemy fire to rejoin his squad where he continued to attack the enemy while the wounded Marines were extracted. Then, with enemy fire still impacting around him, Sergeant Rollins dragged a Marine casualty to safety.

Sergeant Rollins aggressive actions in the face of the enemy drew fire onto his own position and provided his squad the reprieve they needed to maneuver to safety. Sergeant Rollins bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Col. Michael Fenzel, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, at Fort Bliss, Texas, pins the Distinguished Service Cross on Sgt. 1st Class Jack White, an Airborne School instructor with 1st Battalion Airborne, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sept. 7 at the 173rd Airborne Memorial. White received the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in Khost Province, Afghanistan, June 29, 2008. Photo Credit: Lori Egan, The Bayonet.

Sgt. 1st Class Jack White, an Airborne School instructor, received the Army’s second-highest military decoration, the Distinguished Service Cross, Sept. 7.

In a ceremony on the hallowed ground of the 173rd Airborne Memorial at the National Infantry Museum, White was surrounded by his family, Soldiers he served with in the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the Fort Benning community.

The award was for his actions June 29, 2008, in Khost Province, Afghanistan, while serving as a squad leader with the Vicenza, Italy-based A Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment.

That night, White and 18 other Soldiers on a tiny observation post near the Pakistan border turned back an enemy force of 105 Taliban fighters who attacked from a ridge with small-arms fire, RPK machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

“He brought them all back unscathed,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Rick Weik, who was the battalion’s command sergeant major and now fills that role at the 198th Infantry Brigade. “Very easily this could’ve turned bad. If it wasn’t for his leadership, it would’ve.”

In the past decade, more than 1.5 million troops have deployed in the war on terrorism. The 173rd Airborne Brigade accounted for four Distinguished Service Cross awards during OEF VIII.

“Heroic actions can serve as lessons learned,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter, the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning commanding general. “We talk an awful lot about inspired leadership here. The Soldier we honor today is the epitome of inspired leadership.”

Col. Michael Fenzel, then a lieutenant colonel, led White’s battalion in Afghanistan. He’s now commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, at Fort Bliss, Texas.

“Heroes are made long before the events that thrust them into a position to have to act,” Fenzel told the audience. “Jack White became a hero to those that served with him long before the evening of June 29 on Observation Point East.”

The observation point was a 90-minute climb from Combat Outpost Spera, which sat 1,000 feet below. It’s just 25 meters from Pakistan.

On the morning of June 29, the Taliban fighters began a 10-hour crawl up the side of the mountain toward White’s position at the top. As the attack commenced, White was awoken by an RPG that landed less than 20 meters away. He immediately low-crawled out of the sleeping area to lead the observation point’s defense.

White spoke of the unity and strength of the small tactical unit and squad, and of the human dimension of combat.

“You don’t really think, you just think about what you have to do at the time,” said White, 30, who was a staff sergeant when the incident occurred. “It ain’t like the movies; it ain’t fun. It’s the last place you want to be, honestly. But your training takes over, and you start thinking about the guy to the left and right of you, and make sure everybody gets out of there safe.

“If it weren’t for my guys that were up there … I wouldn’t be speaking to you today.”

Maneuvering through heavy enemy fire, White engaged and quickly adjusted his men to repel the attacking force, according to his citation. With no regard for his own safety, he ordered multiple “danger-close” fire missions, called in airstrikes, and directed lethal mortar and artillery launches.

“There was no way to get to them quickly, (and) over 100 Taliban assaulted them with the intent of overrunning them,” Command Sgt. Maj. Weik said. “But when I heard his voice on the radio, I knew everything was going to be OK … and he brought all those boys off that mountain.”

The fight lasted more than an hour, but the enemy finally broke contact and retreated.

“These Taliban and foreign fighters came in waves and the attacks on the main combat outpost below them emanated from six other directions,” Col. Fenzel said. “The other attacks were designed to isolate OP East so it could be destroyed, but the enemy hadn’t taken into account the expertise, the cool and violent response under the direction of one man … Jack’s own personal actions, bravery and leadership are the reason why 18 other American Soldiers are alive today.”

White has been on four deployments — three to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. The Distinguished Service Cross wouldn’t be possible without the actions of his comrades, he said.

“All my guys who were up on the OP with me, I wish they were here today,” he said. “It’s mainly for them. That’s how I see this award, not for me, but for everybody.”

His unit also earned seven Army Commendation Medals and a Bronze Star, all with “V” devices for valor.

The Distinguished Service Cross has been awarded to more than 13,000 U.S. servicemembers since its inception in January 1918. Since the global war on terror began, it’s gone to 15 Soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom and six from Operation Enduring Freedom.

U.S. Army
By Vince Little

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, International Security Assistance Force commander, shakes the hand of U.S. Army Sgt. Donald Starks from Grayling, Mich., fire team leader for C Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, after awarding him the Silver Star for his actions during an Oct. 30 attack. Photo by U.S. Army Capt. Rob Quint

U.S. Army Sgt. Donald Starks from Grayling, Mich., received the Silver Star in a ceremony on Combat Outpost Margah in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province today.

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, International Security Assistance Force commander, awarded Starks for his actions during an insurgent attack on COP Margah, Oct. 30.

Starks, the fire team leader for C Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, was in charge of a six-man team located at an observation post five kilometers southeast of COP Margah when they were attacked by more than 25 insurgents.

“I heard [U.S. Army Pfc. James Platt] say ‘Sgt. Starks, I see movement,’” said U.S. Army Pfc. Livingston Morehouse, C Company, 4th BCT.

Before Platt could finish his radio transmission, the team began taking fire from multiple sides.

“Sgt. Starks and I ran north,” said Morehouse “Starks opened fire with the [MK-48 machine gun] … [Insurgents] were so close, we could hear them speak to each other.”

Starks shot illumination fire, positioned his soldiers and led the charge against Taliban fighters.

Enemy fire continued from all directions as Starks realized two of his five soldiers were wounded and they were running low on ammunition. He made the critical decision to break contact with the insurgents attacking the observation post and return to COP Margah. While continuously calling in air support, Starks led his team through indirect and direct fire back to COP Margah where the injured soldiers were treated.

“Starks distinguished himself with gallantry and bravery in combat against an enemy that outnumbered his element five-to-one,” said U.S. Army Capt. David Schulz, company commander of C Company, 2nd Bn., 4th BCT, who recommended Starks for the Silver Star.

“In the face of overwhelming odds, he led his men to safety while calling for and adjusting fire,” Starks’ citation read. “His remarkable performance and selfless commitment to his fellow comrades in arms undoubtedly saved the lives of all of his men.”

DVIDS

Cpl Dakota Meyer

It wasn’t a very big battle, as battles go. The Sept. 8, 2009, ambush on a joint patrol of Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition forces in Ganjgal village, Kunar Province, Afghanistan cost the lives of five Americans and nine Afghans. Like so many heartbreaking battles in this war, it need not have turned out this way.

The official report on this action reads:

During mission execution on 8 September 2009, the actions of key leaders at the battalion level were inadequate and ineffective, contributing directly to the loss of life which ensued.

Embedded Training Team 2-8 and the Afghans it was training walked in to a well prepared ambush by 100 to 150 Taliban. Four Marines from the team were cut off and calling for help. Several attempts to reach the four using an armored vehicle were repulsed.

Then Cpl. Dakota Meyer, nearing the end of his four year hitch with the Corps, took matters into his own hands. Already wounded from the rescue attempts with the armored vehicle, he left the vehicle on foot to find his comrades.

They were dead. Under heavy fire, Meyer carried each body back to the relative safety of the vehicle. The Marine Times describes the situation:

After helicopter pilots called on to respond said fighting was too fierce for them to land, Meyer, then 21, charged into the kill zone on foot to find his friends. Under heavy fire, he reached a trench where the pilots had spotted the Marines, by then considered missing.

He found Johnson, 31; Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, 30; 1st Lt. Michael Johnson, 25; Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class James Layton, 22; and an Afghan soldier they were training — all dead and bloody from gunshot wounds. They were spread out in the ditch, their weapons and radios stolen.

“I checked them all for a pulse. There [sic] bodies were already stiff,” Meyer said in a sworn statement he was asked to provide military investigators. “I found SSgt Kenefick facedown in the trench w/ his GPS in his hand. His face appeared as if he was screaming. He had been shot in the head.”

Rather than give up, Meyer, of Greensburg, Ky., fought to bring his buddies back home. Bleeding from his shrapnel wound and still under fire, he carried their bodies back to a Humvee with the help of Afghan troops, and escorted them to nearby Forward Operating Base Joyce, about a mile to the northeast of Ganjgal.

Meyer has reportedly been nominated for the Medal of Honor for his actions on that day. If it is approved by the White House, he would be the second third living recipient of the Medal during the War on Terror.

The Adair County Community Voice has this to say about Meyer and his life after the Corps:

He returned home in June [2010] after his four-year term with the Marines was complete.

Dakota’s perspective of handling the small things in life has changed since his time in Afghanistan.

“It really changed my perspective on taking things for granted,” Dakota said. “It may seem tough here but there are guys over there getting shot at … It’s hard to understand until you’ve seen it first hand.”

Dakota has no plans to return to active duty.

Dakota now works for Ausgar Technology, which is based in San Diego, Calif. He trains military on new gear and technology. However, he has times when his passion for the Marines makes him want to go back.

“When I see things on the news, it makes me want to go back,” Dakota said. “But I can’t win the war by myself.”

This story is also being covered by John Donovon and Blackfive, among many others.