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

For all our stories on this American hero, follow this link.

Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta

White House

Yesterday, President Obama spoke with Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta to inform him that he will be awarded the Medal of Honor for acts of gallantry at the risk of his life that went above and beyond the call of duty. Sergeant Giunta will be the first living service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq or Afghanistan. The President thanked Sergeant Giunta for his service and extraordinary bravery in battle.

Further information about the date and time of the ceremony will be released at a later date.

ACTION FROM WHICH THE MEDAL OF HONOR WAS EARNED:

Then-Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself by acts of gallantry at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifle team leader with Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment during combat operations against an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan on October 25, 2007.

When an insurgent force ambush split Specialist Giunta’s squad into two groups, he exposed himself to enemy fire to pull a comrade back to cover. Later, while engaging the enemy and attempting to link up with the rest of his squad, Specialist Giunta noticed two insurgents carrying away a fellow soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other, and provided medical aid to his wounded comrade while the rest of his squad caught up and provided security. His courage and leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon’s ability defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow American paratrooper from enemy hands.

Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta

KCRG Channel 9

Giunta, 24, a Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School graduate who served two tours in Afghanistan, was nominated for the award for his role in preventing a wounded fellow soldier from being dragged away during a fire fight in the Korengal River Valley in northeast Afghanistan.

Giunta’s father, Steve Giunta of Hiawatha, said he and his wife, Rose, are proud of their son but said Sal is “very reserved and quiet” when it comes to the award.

“He would like to not have the spotlight,” Steve Giunta said. “If all of this would just go away I think that would be just fine by him.”

“As he told me, this doesn’t change the event,” the elder Giunta said. “As he puts it, every soldier would have done it.”

Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta. Hiawatha, Iowa soldier nominated for Medal of Honor.

Des Moines Register

His father, Steve Giunta of Hiawatha, said Staff Sgt. Giunta is stationed in Italy.

“We’re very proud of him – proud of all of his unit, not all of whom are still here,” Steve Giunta said.

WCF Courier

Giunta, who enlisted in the Army shortly after graduating from Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, is now stationed in Italy with the Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He was in his second tour of duty in Afghanistan at the time of the ambush.

Giunta, who was previously awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other medals, called his parents after hearing from the president, his father said.

U.S. Army Capt. Erik Johnson, an occupational therapist with the 173rd ABCT and Little Rock, Ark., native, helped spearhead the clinic to treat Soldiers who suffer from traumatic brain injuries from combat. The goal is to have the Soldiers recover and return to their unit without the delays that previously kept Soldiers out of theater for evaluations or treatment, he said.

The new clinic is the first of its kind here in Afghanistan, said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Melissa Potter, the medical operations noncommissioned officer in charge of the 173rd ABCT, from Virginia Beach, Va.

The program allows Soldiers to stay at the clinic and receive treatment with Johnson and his assistant, U.S. Army Spc. Jessica Rivera-Mendoza, from New Castle, Del., for up to 14 days. It lets Soldiers get back in the fight and rejoin their units sooner than ever before.

“In the past, they would be medically evacuated out of theater,” Johnson said. “This is the first clinic of its kind. Our treatment program is definitely helping the 173rd identify symptoms as early as possible. It’s great to see these Soldiers make comebacks like this.”

The pilot program has caught the attention of military leaders at the Pentagon, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, due to its tremendous contributions in reducing the time it takes to get Soldiers treated and returned to duty, said Johnson.

“Once a combat medic determines that there are signs of any head trauma, the Soldier is referred to the mTBI Clinic for treatment here,” said U.S. Army Spc. Ashley Marie Bordges, a medic with Brigade Support Battalion, 173rd ABCT.

Headaches, irritability, short-term memory loss and troubles with problem-solving skills are some of the most common symptoms that medics encounter following a minor traumatic brain injury, Johnson said.

U.S. Army Sgt. James Doyle Triplett, from Lawton, Okla., came to the clinic with concentration problems after his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. He said that he had some difficulties thinking clearly, but Johnson and Bordges helped him improve dramatically.

To help patients, Johnson ensures that the clinic environment is a comfortable, quiet space that will make Soldiers feel at home and help them relax and rest. Letting the brain calm down after an IED or rocket propelled grenade attack is an essential part of the therapy.

U.S. Army Maj. Jay Baker, the 173rd ABCT Surgeon, from Escondido, Ca., said, “The program is ideal because exposing Soldiers to occupational therapy and new techniques like winding down time, resting in a dark quiet place for 24-48 hours and receiving medical or psychological help have proved to be highly effective.”

“In the past, Soldiers suffering from mTBI were sent back to home station due to the lack of a solid treatment plan, and the units were also losing Soldiers due to poor follow-ups (post-deployment),” Baker said.

But with a facility dedicated to mTBI treatment and a tracking system, no Soldiers here slip through the cracks, Potter said. This also identifies high-risk Soldiers and ensures that they receive follow up screenings after they return from deployment.

Treatment and recovery is also effective here because the patients will receive mTBI care with the support of their units nearby, without worry or guilt for having to leave to get treatment back in the U.S. or out of theater.

A close relationship between the doctor and patients also makes mTBI treatment at FOB Shank unique and successful.

“Captain Johnson is completely dedicated to his job and the Soldiers,” said Potter. “Because he is dedicated to the mTBI clinic, he is able to personalize his treatment plans and really get to know the Soldiers. He makes his patients feel at home and a part of the team. Soldiers are comfortable talking to him and coming to the clinic to receive care.”.

“Soldiers tell me all the time that when they were deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan in the past, they never had this program before, Johnson said.“It is a very important program for our patients. So far, about 150 Soldiers have come to the clinic for treatment and 100 percent have been returned to duty, Johnson said.

“We are doing some innovative things here and making some breakthroughs that lead the way in terms of treating these kind of traumatic brain injuries,” said U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Nicholas Rolling, command sergeant major of the 173rd ABCT, from Camarillo, Ca. “What they have done with this clinic is awesome.”

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Bruce Cobbledick

Silver Star, Purple Heart posthumously

Josh Ayers, brother of Cpl. Jonathan R. Ayers, proudly displays the Silver Star Medal awarded to Cpl. Ayers posthumously, March 29, during a ceremony at Shiloh High School in Snellville, Ga. Members of Ayers' unit, Chosen Company, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, attending the ceremony and stood at attention directly behind the family during the presentation. Cpl. Ayers was a graduate from Shiloh and a student commander of the Air Force ROTC.

The Army’s third-highest award for valor, the Silver Star, was posthumously awarded to the family of Cpl. Jonathan Ayers at Shiloh High School, March 29, due to his valor during a fire fight in Wanat, Afghanistan July 13, 2008.

The ceremony, attended by approximately 300 members of the Snellville community, also attracted a rather rough-looking bunch””members of an organization that has taken part in Soldiers’ funerals and memorial services for the past four years.

Entering the auditorium, a ring of 90 motorcyclists clad in riding gear, each holding an American flag, form an impressive sight. Amidst leather fringe, sewn onto patches, is the group’s name, a proclamation of pride: Patriot Guard Riders.

“Standing for those who stood for us,” is the group’s motto””one the Patriot Guard takes seriously. They have stood in between the families of fallen Soldiers and protesters since 2005, and continue to show respect at memorial services with their trademark flag lines throughout the country. The ceremony was a fitting event for the motorcycle aficionados; Ayers was an avid rider himself.

Ayers loved motorcycles so much that he was late deploying to Afghanistan with his unit following an accident on his bike. A tough tumble, though, could not deter him from riding – an attitude he also brought to his military career, and what would eventually earn him a Silver Star.

The 24-year-old machine gunner from Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, was killed in action, July 13, 2008, when the observation post he was manning was attacked by Taliban fighters. Ayers died just one week before his unit was scheduled to return home.

Described as a “quiet professional” by members of his unit, Ayers acted with gallantry in action during the single deadliest attack since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, where nine U.S. Soldiers were killed and 15 others were wounded.

During the four-hour battle, an estimated 200 Taliban fighters attacked the small outpost near the Pakistan border, outnumbering U.S. troops nearly 2-to-1.

Ayers, taking heavy enemy fire from his foxhole-like embankment, continued to shoot his weapon even after being hit in the helmet with a bullet. Ayers’ company commander, Capt. Matt Meyer, explained that had it not been for Ayers’ bravery, he believed many more of his men may have lost their lives.

“A lot of people in his position would have ducked down and gotten out of the way,” Meyer said. “But he didn’t, he kept on firing.”

Brig. Gen. Joseph Schroedel, commander of the South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, spoke about gallantry and what it means.

“What separates gallantry from any other valor on the battlefield is spirit,” Schroedel said. “It takes a lot of family support to give you the spirit that can sustain someone through what Jon went through.”

Col. James DeCamp, chaplain, First Army, offered his own definition of valor.

“Valor; it’s what happens when a Soldier puts the mission and other Soldiers before himself.”

Gallantry. Valor. No matter the verbiage, Ayers’ actions on July 13, are deserving of praise. However, Ayers’ mother, Suzanne, claims that if her son had been present at the ceremony, he would have been embarrassed by all the attention.

“He wouldn’t have wanted all this because he didn’t want anyone to think he was a hero,” Suzanne said. “If he was here today, he would say he was just doing his job.”

In the high school that he graduated from in 2002, words were spoken about Ayers by his comrades, his commander, a general, a mayor, a State Representative, a high school teacher, and his family””yet all accounts point to his attitude of humbleness.

Although saddened by the loss of their son, the Ayers’ are resolutely proud of his service.

“I asked him if he thought he was making a difference,” Bill Ayers said of his son, “and he told me “˜yes, I think I am.’”

The Ayers’ explained that they are not surprised by their son’s actions, and that he learned to stand his ground from a young age.

“It helps hearing what he did that day,” said Bill Ayers. “It’s a tremendous honor”¦we miss our son greatly, but knowing that he was willing to protect his country and unit”¦it helps.”

The Silver Star was accepted by Ayers’ brother, Josh Ayers, in front of an audience of family members, friends and about 20 members of Ayers’ unit, stationed in Vicenza, Italy.

On March 30, Meyer and Spc. Michael T. Denton (members of Ayers’ unit) were also awarded Silver Stars for their actions during the battle at Wanat, while Sgt. 1st Class David L. Dzwik received a Bronze Star with a Valor device. Throughout Chosen Company’s 15-month deployment in Afghanistan, 16 Soldiers were killed in action and 50 were wounded.

As the Soldiers from Chosen Company exited the auditorium, the words of Col. William B. Ostlund, deputy commander of the 75th Ranger Regiment resounded: “Today we truly are in the company of heroes.” And in the distance, the sound of 90 motorcycles could be heard.

DVIDS
Story by Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown

More on Cpl. Jonathan Ayers and the battle at Wanat

• Long War Journal
• Medevac View of the Battle of Wanat – Blackfive
• Honoring Cpl Jonathan Ayers – Blackfive
• CPL Ayers Silver Star & Memorial Celebration – Blackfive
• Stars & Stripes

Silver Star

A 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat team Soldier was awarded the Silver Star for valor in a ceremony at Caserma Ederle here Oct. 31.

Spc. Dillon Bergstad of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 503rd Infantry Regiment, received the medal for his actions Aug. 27, 2007, in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, while deployed with the 173rd ABCT in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Bergstad was serving as an M2 .50-caliber machine gunner as part of a mounted patrol providing overwatch security for a route clearance element in Afghanistan’s Zerok District when the patrol was attacked by 20 to 25 insurgents.

During the battle that followed, Bergstad was knocked out of his turret three times by enemy fire. The first time his truck was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. The second time he was shot through the right biceps by an armor-piercing incendiary round. Bergstad was thrown from his vehicle a third time when his vehicle was again struck by a rocket-propelled grenade. Each time he fought his way back into the turret to continue engaging the enemy.

Those accounts of the battle came from Bergstad’s fellow paratroopers and his Silver Star citation. The specialist says he does not have a clear recollection of the events. But his focus at the time was clear.

“I just had to keep my weapon going,” the North Bend, Oregon, native said. “It was all completely reactionary.”

“I don’t even remember when I got shot. It’s kind of like a car wreck. You know what happened, but you can’t really remember any of it,” said Bergstad.

As a result of Bergstad’s actions, the gunner of an enemy rocket-propelled grenade team was killed and fire from several known enemy machine gun positions was suppressed, according to the medal citation.

When the ambush was over, Bergstad refused medical treatment for his arm until all other wounded personnel were treated first. He refused painkillers and morphine and reported for duty five days after the attack.

Brig. Gen. William B. Garrett, commander of the Southern European Task Force, presented the award to Bergstad. The general said he was impressed with the warrior spirit the specialist showed that day.

“On this day we recognize Spc. Bergstad for what he did,” said Garrett during the ceremony. “And again, courage is the primary thing that we look for in any Soldier and any warrior, and he displayed it in spades that day, and that is why we are recognizing him.”

US Army
BY Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Caldwell,
173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office

Bergstad’s father, Walter Bergstad of Bend, said Tuesday he first learned the details of his son’s attack when his niece came across a Coos Bay newspaper article, describing the incident.

The phone call created heavy emotions with Dillon’s family, who after the incident wasn’t sure if Dillon would make it out of his tour of duty alive.

Dillon’s grandfather, Virgil Bergstad, remembers wat his father told him: “As a young man, he told me, never worry about those bullets you can hear. The ones you don’t hear (are) the ones you’ll have to watch out for.”

It was that advice, passed on from two generations to Dillon Bergstad, which hasn’t been forgotten.

KTVZ TV

Stars and Stripes

Coos Bay World

Silver Star

Simmons, who just left the Army this week to attend college in Florida, was honored for his actions during a June 8 attack near the end of the battalion’s rotation. Enemy forces attacked while a CH-47 Chinook helicopter was in the process of lifting a vehicle off the compound.

The noncommissioned officer in charge at the compound for Company C, Simmons helped direct the helicopter out of the combat zone, then assessed the situation, according to a narrative submitted for the award.

Seeing that soldiers in the 120 mm mortar pit were pinned down and unable to fire, he ran to the 81 mm mortar and started returning fire. He was credited with firing 35 rounds by himself, despite being wounded by shrapnel. He then ran between U.S. positions to gather status reports from his men and informed the commander of the situation. He spent the next few hours of the seven-hour battle resupplying U.S. positions with ammunition under a consistent barrage of enemy fire. He later helped guide U.S. air assets to attack enemy positions.

Sadly, this is all the coverage of the award I can find on Google. He was given a big welcome home in florida which had local coverage.
Stars and Stripes

Distinguished Service Cross, Purple Heart

Gen. Cart Ham, commander of U.S. Army Europe, awards Staff Sgt. Erich R. Phillips, mortar platoon sergeant for Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), the Distinguished Service Cross, Sept. 15, 2008, in Vicenza, Italy, for actions performed in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan Aug. 22, 2007. Photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Aird

Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips, mortar platoon sergeant for Chosen Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, also known as “The Rock,” was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross Sept. 15, 2008, in Vicenza, Italy for his actions Aug. 22, 2007, at Ranch House in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.

The DSC is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the Army, and only the fifth awarded to a servicemember during Operation Enduring Freedom.

Before dawn on Aug. 22, 2007, 60 to 80 Taliban extremists moved into position to launch a three-pronged attack against Ranch House. Video footage posted on an extremist website showed Taliban rehearsing over a detailed map of Ranch House’s fighting positions.

“Their plan was to overrun our forward operating base,” said Phillips, who is from Eastpoint, Fla.

When the Taliban attacked Ranch House, 22 American Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team were living at the base. They worked side-by-side with the Afghan National Army in one of the most rugged and remote NATO bases in Afghanistan.

RUDE AWAKENING
Every defended position was bombarded with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades simultaneously, said Phillips.

“I woke up to RPG’s slamming into my building,” recalled Phillips.

The Taliban, whom breached the Afghan perimeter, quickly over took an ANA and Afghan Security Guards (private security firm) weapons and ammo cache, which they unleashed on the U.S. Soldiers.

“At this point all communication was lost with Post 3 and Post 4,” said Phillips. Phillips didn’t know it yet, but Post 3 was destroyed and Pfc. Jeddah Deloria was trapped underneath the collapsed fighting position. The other wounded Soldiers from Post 3 had retreated to Post 2.

PHILLIPS REACTS
Phillips organized defenses around the tactical operations center, which was being hit by RPG’s, machine guns and small-arms fire. The 22 Soldiers were outnumbered three to one.

Phillips seeing that the TOC risked being overrun began positioning Soldiers in a defensive perimeter and relayed information to 1st Lt. Matthew Ferrara, platoon leader, who was on the radio calling for artillery and close air support.

The effective enemy fire destroyed the TOC’s radio antennas mounted on the roof, which left the platoon with no communication for five minutes.

Ferrara moved the TOC outside and with a dismounted radio, re-established communications.

RELIEF EFFORT TO POST TWO
After learning Post 2 had numerous causalities, Phillips grabbed Sgt. Kyle Dirkintis, the platoon medic, and attempted to assault up the mountain toward Post 2. Phillip’s Soldiers used hand grenades and small-arms fire to help cover his and Dirkintis’ movement.

While bounding toward Post 2, Phillips and Dirkintis were pinned down by enemy fire at a set of wooden structures, which were Post 2′s living quarters.

“At this point, Soldiers at Post 2 yelled down to me that two enemy fighters were on the other end of the building I was taking cover on,” said Phillips.

Phillips, only three meters away from the enemy, rolled two hand grenades over the top of the living quarters.

MEDIC BADLY INJURED
“Once the explosion went off doc (Dirkintis) realized how bad we were taking fire and he came from behind cover to fire and was shot in the chest,” explained Phillips.

Dirkintis coughing up blood and suffering from a collapsed lung was unable to stand up. Phillips coordinated with Post 2 to provide cover fire while he dragged Dirkintis down the hill. Upon reaching the mortar pit, Phillips started to perform first aid and was assisted by another Soldier.

Phillips directed the Soldier to provide first aid while he continued to fire small arms and direct another Soldier’s grenades toward Taliban positions until an Air Force A-10 Warthog began strafing the base.

“The first gun run went southeast to west behind the aid station right into the back of the TOC, and the second came from the south to the north down the center of the FOB,” said Phillips.

POST THREE RELIEVED
The Warthog helped repel the advancing Taliban and enabled Phillips to lead a team of Soldiers to recover Deloria who had been alone at Post 3 for two and a half hours.

“Once I climbed the ladder to Post 3 I could see the post had taken severe damage and had fallen on top of Deloria,” said Phillips. “Deloria had attempted to blow all four claymore mines. He even applied first aid to himself and was holding his weapon when I found him. I tried to carry Deloria back down to the causality collection point, but he said ‘I want to walk sergeant’.”

Once back to the causality collection point, Phillips began preparing Soldiers for evacuation and helped evacuate all of the wounded. Once the quick reaction force arrived, Phillips led the Soldiers to retake the lost section of the base.

By fighting’s end, half of the U.S. Soldiers would be wounded and one ANA and ASG would be killed. No Soldiers were killed in the two and half hour firefight and the base was not overrun.

“I just tried to maintain the front line,” said Phillips. “The other Soldiers deserve just as much recognition as me.”

MORE BATTLES FOR HERO
Phillips would go on to fight in an ambush near Aranus and the battle of Wanat – the two largest battles the 173rd ABCT saw in Afghanistan during their deployment – which resulted in 14 Chosen Company Soldiers killed in action.

Phillips, who also was awarded the Purple Heart, is scheduled to leave Chosen Company and become a ranger instructor at 6th Ranger Training Battalion.

US Army
By Staff Sgt. Brandon Aird, 173rd ABCT Public Affairs

“I was asleep in my bunk,” said Staff Sgt. Erich Phillips, the company’s mortar section sergeant. “I woke up to [rocket-propelled grenades] slamming into the side of my building. Then two soldiers ran in and said: ‘Sergeant, we’re under attack.’ ”

Phillips, on his fourth deployment to Southwest Asia, had already figured that out.

It was about 5 a.m. and enemy forces were trying to overrun the platoon-size element stationed at the Ranch House, a rudimentary outpost built on a mountain side 7,000 feet above sea level in Nuristan province, Afghanistan.

“That was exactly their intention,” Phillips said Monday. “We didn’t allow them. We fought hard.”

Stars and Stripes
By Kent Harris

Silver Star

Afghanistan (July 12, 2008) — A 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team Soldier earned a Silver Star for combat operations and was presented the medal in a ceremony here, today.

Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, Combined Joint Task Force 101 commander, presented Capt. William G. Cromie with a Silver Star, the third highest military decoration and praised him for his valor.

Cromie was recognized for his actions during an ambush on Nov. 16, 2007, while acting as platoon leader for 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company during a route-clearance operation along the Korengal Road in Konar province.

The Platoon was called out to perform route clearance on a portion of the Korengal Road after receiving a tip that an IED may have been placed there.

“While travelling down the road, our first vehicle struck an IED,” said Cromie. “Immediately, we were ambushed on three sides by heavily-armed militants.”

Two Soldiers managed to advance to an over-watch position to help cover the platoon, but were soon pinned down and running low on ammunition. Cromie personally moved more ammunition to the two Soldiers while running through the small-arms cross fire.

Finally, after receiving close-air support, the platoon was able to mount a counter-attack and pushed the militants back to a house. The platoon then cleared the house, killing the militants.

“I really would like to thank the squad leaders, they really acted professionally even under a stressful situation like that, and the guys in 3rd Platoon for their bravery,” said Cromie.

CJTF-101
Written by Pfc. Christina Sinders CJTF-101 Public Affairs

Afghanistan, July 12, 2008 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff yesterday took the opportunity to present 12 paratroopers with awards here for valorous and heroic achievements in combat.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen pinned five Army Commendation Medals with valor devices, five Purple Heart Medals, one Bronze Star with valor device, and one Silver Star on the troopers’ chests during a ceremony at their combat outpost here.

“It’s an honor and privilege to be here,” Mullen said to the awardees. “This ceremony is about individuals who represent the sacrifice of so many.”

The paratroopers are assigned to 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, and have been operating in the valley for 14 months. Though their tour at the secluded combat outpost has been somewhat primitive, with few luxuries and the bare necessities, their mission of counterinsurgency has been quite complex.

The troopers often found themselves patrolling the rugged Korengal Valley and surrounding areas for days at a time with little contact with the rest of the world. Only radio communication and a keen sense of their environment kept the rotation of patrolling squads and platoons connected with even their isolated outpost, soldiers explained.

Army Capt. Greg Ambrosia, executive officer of Company A and recipient of the Silver Star that Mullen awarded here, said he can attribute his leadership and confidence during such patrols to the lives he saved during one particular encounter with Taliban fighters on the night of Sept. 27.

Ambrosia and his men set up a makeshift outpost after a nighttime air assault into the valley. The troopers made contact with the enemy early the next morning, receiving a hail of rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire. But they couldn’t spot where exactly the attack was coming from, he said.

His basic function and responsibility was to radio information from the company commander in a nearby mounted element on the side of the mountain back to the battalion headquarters, he continued.

“We spotted an enemy scout and eventually made contact, but he was able to [disengage and communicate] our location to other fighters in the valley,” Ambrosia said.

Ambrosia’s element had a translator monitoring the enemy communication with a basic one-way radio. After the initial contact, it was quiet for about 45 minutes. The interpreter continued to monitor the radio, and Ambrosia learned that the scout was coordinating with other enemy fighters in the area to launch an attack, he explained.

Soon there were at least three enemy elements with three to five fighters each closing in on the platoon. So close, in fact, they were in hand-grenade range of his troops, he said.

“They were able to get to really close using the terrain,” he continued. “At one point, I started calling the vehicles in the valley to start shooting on our position, because the enemy was too close to call in artillery or mortar fire.”

“So we ended up having our guys shooting on our own position,” he continued.

Even though Ambrosia and his men maintained some safety behind a mound of rocks, the smoke from the mounted vehicle engulfed their position. He began call for aerial support from AH-64 Apache helicopters, he said.

Enemy radio traffic intercepted by Ambrosia’s interpreter let the paratroopers know the insurgents planned to overrun their position and take them hostage, but they were able to repel the attack, he said.

However, Ambrosia’s radio requests for Apaches to provide aerial support wouldn’t arrive for another 45 minutes, he added.

“That’s when it began to get really hairy,” he said. “The enemy was getting really close and using hand grenades.”

Ambrosia’s actions and direction of his men repelled the enemy fighters long enough for the helicopters to arrive. The modest captain said he doesn’t know exactly how many enemies were killed, but knows that two of his men were wounded. None were killed.

“I’m very thankful for that,” Ambrosia said.

“It has been a very dangerous time here,” Mullen told the troopers. “You’re almost home; it’s not far off, so stay focused and get home safe. I can’t say enough about how impressed and proud I am of what you’ve accomplished.

The battalion has already begun redeploying troopers. The entire battalion should conclude its 15-month deployment and be back at home station in Vicenza, Italy, by the end of the month.

DoD
By Army Staff Sgt. Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

Bronze Star with “V” device

A Bronze Star with “V” device for valor was awarded to Army Sgt. Ryan P. Inabnet, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 1-91 Cavalry Squadron, at Fire Base Naray, Kunar province, April 24.

Brig. Gen. Mark Milley, CJTF-101 deputy commanding general for operations, awarded the medal to Inabnet and presented him with a coin for excellence.

Inabnet was recognized for his actions in combat July 27, 2007, when he saved more than a dozen Soldier’s lives during a combat operation in Kunar province. The Quick Reaction Team he was on was called out to re-enforce International Security Assistance Forces engaged in combat with insurgents.

“We first set out after receiving word that four casualties on the ground were injured and two of them were serious,” said Inabnet, a wheeled vehicle mechanic. “Once we arrived we got the four injured in the vehicles and dropped them off at the medevac site.”

Shortly afterward, Inabnet provided first aid to a wounded Soldier from his QRT.

“Once we had all the equipment and personnel, we started to head back,” said Inabnet. “That’s when we started taking [rocket propelled grenades] and small-arms fire.”

As the group tried to break contact, several Soldiers were wounded and put into Inabnet’s vehicle.

“My main goal was to get these guys back to the helicopter landing zone so they could survive,” said Inabnet. “I ended up staying up for hours until we got all our guys back inside the [forward operating base].”

“That day will be with me for a long time,” he said. “I would like to thank the Lord above and all my brothers who were in that fight with me.”

CJTF-101
Written by Army Pfc. Christina Sinders RC-East PAO