Distinguished Service Cross

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Army News Service, May 1, 2008) - A 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Soldier was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during a ceremony here Wednesday for valorous actions during Operation Enduring Freedom.

A 20-year veteran, Master Sgt. Brendan O’Connor, formerly a senior medic on a 2nd Battalion, 7th SFG (A) Operational Detachment Alpha, was presented the award while he stood before family, friends, and fellow Soldiers.

“For the men who were with him that day, Master Sergeant O’Connor is a savior,” said Adm. Eric T. Olson, commander of United States Special Operations Command, who presented the award to O’Connor.

“For all Americans, he is a hero, and for all members of special operations across the services, he is a source of enormous pride,” he said.

O’Connor was instrumental in keeping his team alive during an intense battle with more than 250 Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan on June 22, 2006. While making a temporary stop during a patrol, his team and their attached Afghan National Army soldiers were attacked from all sides with small-arms fire, heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, recoilless rifles and mortars.

During the 17 1/2 hours of sustained combat that followed, O’Connor and his team fought off wave after wave of Taliban attackers from a group of small compounds, fighting for their lives against insurgents who were intent on killing or capturing the beleaguered defenders. Much of the combat was so close that the defenders of the compounds could hear cursing and taunting from the enemies who swarmed the perimeter.

After hearing two Soldiers were wounded at another location, O’Connor removed his body armor and low-crawled under heavy machine gun fire to treat and extract his wounded comrades. O’Connor then carried a wounded Soldier back to a safer area, again passing through intense fire. One teammate commented that as he was crawling, machine gun fire “mowed the grass” around him.

“I don’t think that what I did was particularly brave,” said O’Connor. “My friend needed help and I had the opportunity to help him, so I did. I think I’m lucky to get this sort of recognition; there are so many other Soldiers who do similarly brave things overseas and are happy with just a pat on the back when they get home.”

O’Connor is the second Soldier to be awarded the DSC for actions taken in Operation Enduring Freedom. The first was a 5th Special Forces Group Soldier, Maj. Mark Mitchell in 2003. Before Mitchell there had been none since the Vietnam War. The DSC is the second highest award for valor, surpassed only by the Medal of Honor.

“I’ve never been more honored, but this medal belongs to my whole team,” said O’Connor.

“Every member was watching out for the other, inspiring each other, and for some, sacrificing for each other. We all fought hard, and it could just as easily be any one of them standing up here getting it pinned on; every one of them is a hero,” he said.
United States Army
BY Sgt. Daniel Love

Master Sergeant Brendan W. O’Connor was born the “Irish fifth” to a large family of six children at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. After his father’s service and death in combat in the Republic of Vietnam, his family settled in Moorestown, New Jersey.

MSG O’Connor enlisted in the United States Army Reserves (USAR) and enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps at Valley Forge Military Junior College at Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1978. He joined the 11th Special Forces Group, USAR in September 1979 and was commissioned in 1980 into the USAR and served as the Executive Officer of Operational Detachment Alpha Team (ODA) 1132 until 1985. Between 1985 and 1987 he served as a Rifle Platoon Leader and Rifle Company Commander in the 3d Battalion, 18 th Infantry, 187 th Separate Infantry Brigade, USAR. In 1987 he returned to the 11th Special Forces Group and assumed command of ODA 1125.

In 1994 he resigned his commission and enlisted in the Active Army. In 1996 he was assigned to the 7th Special Forces Group and ODA 765 as a medical sergeant. In 2002 he was assigned to the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Battalion (JSOMTB), United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. In 2005 he returned to ODA 765 where he served as a medical sergeant and the Operations Sergeant until November 2007. Currently he is assigned to the 7th Group Surgeon’s Office as the Senior Enlisted Medical Advisor.

MSG O’Connor’s military and civilian education includes: 101st Air Assault Course, Army Airborne Course, Infantry Officer’s Basic Course, Pathfinder Course, Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course, SERE High Risk, Ranger Course, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Norwegian Winter Mountain Course, the 10th SF Group Command Language Program (Russian), Special Forces Medical Sergeant’s Course, Instructor Training Course, Small Group Instructor Course and the Static Line Jumpmaster Course. He graduated from Campbell University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science and a concentration in History.

Awards include: Bronze Star Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. His decorations and badges include: Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, Pathfinder Badge and Parachutist badges from Germany, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. In 2004 he was recognized as the JSOMTB’s Special Operations Combat Medic Course Instructor of the Year. In 2006 he was recognized as the Special Operations Command’s Medic of the Year.

MSG O’Connor is married to the former Miss Margaret Elizabeth Garvey (Meg) of Chevy Chase, Maryland. Meg is a columnist writing for the Fayetteville News and Observer. Together they have been blessed by the gifts of children: Master Ryan Killian O’Connor, Master Colin Garvey O’Connor, Miss Darby Elizabeth O’Connor and Master Dillon Wright O’Connor. They reside in Fayetteville, North Carolina. He is preceded by his parents LTC Mortimer Lenane O’Connor of New York, New York and Elizabeth Celeste Wright O’Connor of Newton, New Jersey. He has brothers, Sean Lenane O’Connor of Westbury, New York, Brian Wright O’Connor of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Michael Wright O’Connor of Burlington, New Jersey. He also has sisters; Miss Siobhan Wright O’Connor of Montclair, New Jersey and the former Miss Elizabeth Wright O’Connor (Foglino) of New York, New York.
Special Operations Command-PDF file