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.

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.

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