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

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

Captain Dale Goetz and his wife, Christina

Department of Defense

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of five soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died Aug. 30 in the Arghandab River Valley, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device. All were based at Fort Carson, Colo.

Killed were:
Capt. Dale A Goetz, 43, of White, S.D. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante, 30, of Cypress, Texas. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Kessler, 32, of Canton, Ohio. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

Staff Sgt. Matthew J. West, 36, of Conover, Wis. He was assigned to the 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group.

Pfc. Chad D. Clements, 26, of Huntington, Ind. He was assigned to the 4th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

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AIP

The official message from the Chief of Chaplains, U.S. Army through the Chief of Chaplains, U.S. Navy:
It is with my deepest sympathy and utmost respect that I announce to our Chaplain Corps that Chaplain (CPT) Dale A. Goetz was killed in action in Afghanistan on August 30, 2010 while serving as the Battalion Chaplain for 1-66th Armor Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. Dale was one of five Soldiers killed by an Improvised Explosive Device while traveling in a convoy near Kandahar Province. Chaplain Goetz is survived by his wife, Christy, and by their three sons- Landon, Caleb and Joel.

Chaplain Goetz is the first military chaplain killed in action in Iraq or Afghanistan. Dale was a selfless servant of God, a devoted husband and father, a strong American patriot, and a compassionate spiritual leader whose love for Soldiers was only surpassed by his firm commitment to living his calling as a United States Army Chaplain.

Please join with me in prayer for Christy, Landon, Caleb and Joel as we mourn with them in the loss of Dale, our fellow Soldier and Unit Ministry Team member. Let us also strive to honor Dale’s sacrifice with a continuing bold commitment to ensure the finest religious support and pastoral care possible for our beloved Soldiers and their Families.

May God bless the Goetz Family and the Families of all our Fallen Soldiers; and, may God bless our Army and the United States of America.

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KDVR Fox 31

Vonnie Lucas, a member who sometimes baby-sat for Goetz and his wife, says news of his death is devastating. She says the 43-year-old Goetz had “a heart for people.”

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Argus Leader

“He was definitely very passionate about his job, and the reason he became a chaplain is because he wanted to see soldiers trust in Jesus Christ,” said the Rev. Jason Parker of High Country Baptist Church in Colorado Springs. “Even his death put the seal on his desire that men would see that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life.”

Goetz, his wife, Christy, and their sons, Landon, 10; Caleb, 8; and Joel, who will turn 1 this month; joined the church in July and were voted into membership Sunday, the day before he died. The family moved to Colorado Springs in January from Okinawa, Japan, where he previously was stationed. He was deployed July 25 to Afghanistan, according to military records.

Until joining the Colorado church, the family had remained members of First Baptist in White while Goetz was stationed at various places, said Vonnie Lucas, a member who sometimes babysat the couple’s two oldest boys. The church kept in contact with Goetz, who served the church from November 2000 to December 2003.

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Houston Chronicle

Goetz, who was in the Chaplain Corps., entered the Army in January 2000. He was deployed to Iraq from November 2004 to September 2005 and was in Afghanistan since July 25. He received the Meritorious Service Medal and Army Commendation Medal.

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Oregonian

Goetz grew up in Hood River, an athlete whose first job was at an old-fashioned dairy where he processed milk and sold ice cream at a drive-up window, Ashby said.

A year before he graduated in 1986, he prayed with his principal, Oscar Stenberg III, and another student to receive Jesus Christ.

“From that point, it was like a light was on in him,” Stenberg said.

Goetz enlisted in the Air Force, then went on to Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Watertown, Wis. He graduated in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree, according to the college website, and met his wife, Christina, there. He completed his Master of Divinity degree at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis in 2000. He was pastor of a church in White, S.D., until he joined the Army and began his work toward chaplaincy in 2000.

Staff Sgt. Xavier Bowie, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Engineer Brigade, from West Palm Beach, Fla., descends into a tunnel beneath a heavily traveled road in western Baghdad to shut off tunnel access to terrorists trying to emplace bombs. Photo by Stephen Clements

On a dark night, two terrorists discovered tunnels underneath a heavily traveled road in western Baghdad and used an improvised explosive device to blow a huge hole in the street to disrupt traffic.

To prevent this act of terrorism from happening again, the engineers from Headquarters and Support Company, 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Engineer Brigade, were called in to repair the gaping hole in the road and seal access to the tunnels beneath the road.

“The crater was pretty dangerous and we ended up repairing two holes in that road,” stated Staff Sgt. Xavier Bowie, mission non-commissioned officer-in-charge, from West Palm Beach, Fla. “There’s an Iraqi army checkpoint nearby and the [Iraqi army troops] said it caused a lot of traffic when people would stop to avoid the holes. It was even worse when the drivers didn’t see the holes and would just drive into them and damage their cars.”

Moving by night, the engineer teams arrived on the damaged overpass. Once the explosives teams of the 731st Explosive Ordnance Detachment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division cleared the area of any possible threats, the tunnel crew of engineers descended into the darkness to cut off terrorist access to the tunnels.

Spc. Stephen Green, of Pensacola, Fla., and Spc. Eduardo Bonilla, of Jacksonville, N.C., welded steel plates over all the points that led into the tunnel, while, simultaneously equipment platoon Soldiers, prepared the holes for repair. The Soldiers repaired the craters by chipping away the damaged asphalt and cleaning up the site.

Once the tunnel was sealed on one side of the overpass, the welding team moved to the other side of the road to seal off access on that side.

Spc. Eduardo Bonilla, from Jacksonville, N.C., and Spc. Stephen Green, from Pensacola, Fla., 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Engineer Brigade, weld a drainage port shut on a heavily traveled route in western Baghdad. Photo by Stephen Clements

After three hours in the tunnels, and an additional two hours fixing the holes, Spc. Christopher Sallas, of Tulsa, Okla., used a forklift to place a very heavy steel plate into the large crater in the overpass. Next, the crater team led by Staff Sgt. Wesley Roach, of Rapid City, S.D., placed a rapid drying asphalt alternative over the plate. After smoothing out the mixture, the team placed road cones around the asphalt to allow it to dry without interruption by traffic.

A follow-up visit to the site a few days later revealed a situation that was not all that surprising given the situation that brought them out there in the first place; the asphalt and steel plate had been completely removed. The engineers then returned to the site with another solution to the problem.

“An attempt was made to reopen access to the tunnel,” stated Command Sgt. Maj. Francis Thibodeau, 46th ECB (H), a native of Detroit. “This is a busy road and someone was going to get hurt if we didn’t put a stop to this, so we sent the welders back in to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

This time the engineers took measures one step further. With the help of large engineer equipment, they placed several heavy plates of over-sized steel deep into the hole. The welders then sprang into action sealing the plates into place to end access to the tunnels once and for all.

With repairs made to the holes, several massive steel plates welded firmly in place and all the tunnels sealed, the engineers were able to not only defeat IED-emplacing terrorists, but also improved the lives of the Iraqi people living in the area.

Sgt. Bryan Silver (kneeling), 46th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), 225th Engineer Brigade, a native of Cerulean, Ky., and Spc. Paul Thrailkill (left standing), a native of Canoga, Calif., weld several over-sized pieces of steel into a gaping hole left by a bomb placed in the underground tunnels. Photo by Stephen Clements

“This is great that this hole is fixed,” exclaimed Hasan, an Iraqi soldier that helped to guard the site. “People have so many problems on this road; sewage trucks can’t get by, families driving get stuck if they don’t see it. Thank you!”

Reiterating the importance of their work and their contribution to the bigger fight, Thibodeau added, “The welders no doubt contributed to the counter-IED fight.”

DVIDS
Story by Stephen Clements

reprinted from May 16 2007

Ashely and Tasha’s mother sends the the following from May 10:

I am OK!

Just wanted everyone to hear my story before it gets blown way out of proportion.
Yes…I did get hit with a roadside bomb (IED)
Yes…I am ok. I only have a few little cuts and bruises
Yes…I do have some hearing loss in my right ear
No…I did not do combat rolls out of the truck while still moving
No…I did not hit it on purpose (i didn’t see it till last sec)
Yes…My truck did catch on fire immediately after the detonation

The IED was called a pressure plate…a thing where once there is weight put on it, it will cause it to detonate. My driver and I saw a little pot hole in the road at the last second. My driver swerved to the left to miss it and we both saw something black in it. I was about to call it up on the radio but my side front tire hit it. The IED went off under me, which is where the fuel tanks are.

The truck immediately caught on fire and we could not see through the windshield due to the flames and smoke. I told my driver to stop the vehicle. He was having a hard time to get it to stop…it is a very big truck and going 45 mph will take some time until a dead stop. I didn’t think the truck was gonna stop but as I was about to tell my driver to bail, he brought it to a stop.

I told him that there was no way I could get out on my side because my side was the side on fire. He jumped out and I was almost right behind him when I got caught on something in the truck. I tried to get my weapon but couldn’t tell where it was through all of the smoke. I continued to free myself from the cooler that was in the back seat. Just as I was about to climb to the front to get out, I got caught on my head set. I couldn’t find the cord to unplug it so I struggled with it to get it off.

This whole time my driver was yelling for me because he realized that I was not out of the truck. I finally got untangled and bailed out the driver door. As I jumped out I saw a post sticking up and I could have sworn I was gonna land on it. Thank God I didn’t.

I fell to the ground…it is a long drop. When I got up the truck totally burst into flames. I ran to the guntruck and got in. We then watched the truck burn for about twenty minutes before we left the scene. All of my stuff was in it. I have nothing. All I have is a couple of uniforms and some civilian clothes waiting for me back at base. I dont even have a weapon right now.

That all happened after 2 am. I got word around 7 am that the truck was still in flames. It will be on fire for a while. Eventually someone will pick it up and bring it back to base.

Everyone was ok and I am ready for another mission.
-tasha

More about Tasha and her twin sister, Ashley:
Our Best: Babe Edition TWINS!
Help Our Deployed Soldiers
Interview With Ashley and Tasha

Reprinted from October 13 2007

KIA Oct. 5, 2007 in Bayji, Iraq

DoD

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Spc. Rachael L. Hugo, 24, of Madison, Wis., died Oct. 5 in Bayji, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked her unit using an improvised explosive device and small arms fire. She was assigned to the 303rd Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve, Jackson, Mich.

The medic reached into her pocket and removed an Army honors coin she received for saving a sergeant’s life in Iraq in February. She told her dad, Kermit Hugo, she had carried it with her ever since then to make sure she didn’t misplace it before she had a chance to give it to him.

“She said, ‘Dad, I got something for you,’ and she pulled that coin out of her pocket,” Kermit Hugo said Monday.

On Friday, Rachael Hugo found herself in a similar situation to the one in February, but with much different results.

Hugo, 24, of Madison, was killed when she went to help injured colleagues after they were hit by an improvised explosive device and came under small-arms fire in Bayji, north of Baghdad. She was deployed just over a year ago and was expected to return home in November.

Hugo’s family members gathered at the Army Reserve Center to speak publicly Monday about her life for the first time since she died.

“She saw death, destruction, despair – and a lot of good things, too,” said Kermit Hugo. “Despite it all, she always kept her head held high.”

He said she was a dedicated soldier who made it clear to her family that she loved what she did. Early in her deployment, she sent an e-mail that said, “This is what I choose to do, and being a medic is what I live to do.”

Her mother, Ruth, said: “She felt that was her niche in life, helping people. She wanted to serve her country.”

Her father, Kermit Hugo, told the story of how his daughter saved the life of a comrade during an engagement earlier this year.

A sergeant was wounded during the engagement and Rachael Hugo volunteered to go to his aid.

“She told the guys to cover her, ” Kermit Hugo said. “From the sounds of it, there were rounds going off from the Humvee. She stayed with him. She kept treating him. She just did her job. ”

Hugo, 24, was a specialist in the Army Reserve with the 303rd Military Police Company based in Jackson, Mich., part of the 89th Military Police Brigade. She was deployed to Iraq in September 2006 and was scheduled to return to the U.S. next month.

Channel 3000

Hugo’s mother said that her daughter shared her excitement about coming home through daily e-mails.

“She did a lot of online clothes shopping. And I kind of chewed her out for it. But she said, ‘Mom, I’m going to be so ecstatic to be home as it is.’”

Her family said that they consider her a hero.

“A hero is the way I will always see you, a legend in our community,” said her brother Scott Hugo.

“She was just a wonderful, outstanding daughter. You just couldn’t ask for anything better,” Kermit Hugo said.

Hugo was assigned to the 303rd Military Police Company, U.S. Army Reserve, in Jackson, Mich. Her family said that Hugo was studying to be a nurse and had been accepted at Viterbo College in La Crosse.

Channel 3000

The funeral of a Madison woman killed in Iraq earlier this month will be held next week.

The U.S. Army said the remains of 24-year-old Spc. Rachael Hugo will arrive Saturday at the Wisconsin General Aviation Services building in Madison.

Military officials have said the combat medic died Oct. 5 when her U.S. Army Reserve unit was attacked by insurgents with a roadside bomb and small arms fire in Bayji, Iraq.

The wake will be held Tuesday [10/16/2007] in Madison and the funeral on Wednesday [10/17/2007] in Monona.

The former high school cheerleader served with the 303rd Military Police Company based in Jackson, Mich.

Reprinted from November 4, 2005

DefendAmerica

It was June 23, 2005, when 20 Marines boarded a seven-ton truck and began their treacherous journey back to Camp Fallujah, Iraq. What happened a short distance down the road is something that has, and will, continue to change their lives forever.

Sitting in the second to last seat in the back, on the right side of the truck, was Lance Cpl. Erin Liberty of Niceville, Fla., an ammunition technician with Ammunition Company, 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group. She remembers talking with the female Seabee next to her, when a series of combined explosions violently lifted the truck from both sides.

“When it blew up, we all flew back and then forward again in our seats,” said Liberty. “I looked at the girl next to me and saw her bounce up and down in the flames. I just closed my eyes and waited for it to end. I felt myself being thrown in the air, but my eyes remained shut. When I impacted the ground, I realized nothing hurt. I felt everything that was happening, but it was like there was a bubble around me, because when I hit the ground and woke up, I felt no pain. I looked at my hands and saw the skin hanging off my left pinky finger, but it still didn’t hurt. Not then. ”

On the ground and covered in dust, she knew it was an improvised explosive device. Later, Liberty said she learned it was constructed of five, 155-millimeter incendiary rounds and a few propane tanks. They had gone off about six feet from each side of the truck.

Trying to recover from the concussion and the ringing in her ears, she looked over and saw the Seabee she had spoken too just seconds before the blast.

“She was lying next to me, unconscious,” Liberty added. “I tried to pull her away from ground zero, but there was a firefight happening at the same time, so a few guys pulled me off and threw me against the wall. I wanted to go back for her, but the way the truck was positioned, it rolled over on top of her before I could.”

After the firefight died down and the injured Marines and sailors were recovered, they loaded onto another vehicle and headed straight for the Battalion Aid Station at Camp Fallujah, said Liberty.

“We then just jumped on another seven-ton and drove away,” Liberty said. “We all just sat there in silence, except for the sounds of discomfort and pain. I can still see the people with their skin hanging off of them. I remember seeing this girl with blood all over her flak jacket and the skin on her fingers falling off. Then, suddenly the silence broke, when a girl in the back of the truck started singing, Amazing Grace. I remember praying to God, and thanking Him that I was alive.”

When they returned to the camp, they were rushed into the surgical unit, but all the serious and critical injuries were rushed in first. Liberty said she walked in after everyone else.

They fixed both of her badly burned hands before she went back to her room. When she got there, she saw she had received packages from home that day.

“One was from my mom. She got me the most gorgeous rosary,” said Liberty. “That night, I just remember lying in bed, praying to let me forget about it. I tried to sleep that night, but obviously I couldn’t sleep much. All I wanted was to just wake up in the morning and feel like it didn’t just happen. The whole thing just kept playing in my mind.”

The next morning, she remembers waking up and thanking God. But with the morning sun came a new pain. Her neck began to hurt, so she went back to the aid station.

The doctors told Liberty she had broken a cervical vertebrae in her neck and she was going to have to return to the United States.

She returned to Camp Lejeune shortly after the incident and has been on convalescent leave since July 3. Not long after she went on leave, she received her Purple Heart Medal.

“It was extremely hard to accept, knowing all the people that had died,” said Liberty. “It’s nothing you can train or practice for, and you always receive it under the worst circumstances.”

Now, she wears a neck brace to assist in stabilizing the break and help with the pain. She is currently recuperating from first-, second- and third-degree burns on her hands and two black eyes in addition to her neck injury.

Liberty will undergo surgery in Florida next month, where they will put a metal plate between her C4 and C5 vertebraes in an attempt to stabilize the break.

In light of the life-altering events she’s been through, she’s still moving forward in her life. Liberty married on Sept. 19, after getting engaged right before she left for Iraq in February.

“It’s been a rough engagement,” Liberty said, with a light, but respectful chuckle.

Liberty said, that even though it has been almost four months since the incident, she still has thoughts of that day.

“I wonder what would have happened if those guys wouldn’t have pulled me away from the truck,” she added. “I imagine what would have happened if I had the strength to pull her away. I’m sure that will always stay with me. Honestly, my mind and my heart hurt way more than my body ever will.”

Insurgents used two Afghan children as shields while they attempted to emplace IEDs in a road in Farah province Oct. 18.

U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment were conducting counter IED operations along a route in Golestan to ensure the safe passage of civilian traffic and ground convoys when they observed four insurgents attempting to emplace an IED in the road.

Initially the Marines observed four adults and two children in a truck laden with burlap sacks and shovels. The adults began digging holes. Once the burlap sacks were removed from the truck and opened, the Marines were able to see IED materiel in the sacks and that the holes being dug in the road were for IEDs.

Marine snipers shot two of the positively identified insurgents as they emplaced an IED. After the initial shots were fired, the other two insurgents grabbed the two children they had brought with them and held them in front of them to use them as shields.

The Marines waited until the children were let go and ran away before snipers shot the remaining two insurgents. The children fled in the direction of a mosque and were unharmed.

“We know that the insurgents often display a blatant disregard for civilian life. They frequently attempt to exploit our adherence to the rule of law. Unfortunately for them, our Marines are well trained in positively identifying targets before engaging them,” said Colonel Peter Petronzio, commanding officer for the Interim Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan.

ISAF

Nestled along busy routes filled with innocent, unsuspecting Iraqi citizens and caring little who unfortunately cross their path, explosively formed penetrators wield mammoth destructive power and the potential to violently kill or maim with a single ignition.

“Once a device detonates, it doesn’t know or care what it hits,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Loar, Multi-National Division – Center Explosive Ordnance Disposal integrator. “Fragmentation is indiscriminate.”

First developed during the World War II, EFPs are a type of shaped charge created with a specific goal in mind – destruction.

Since June, there have been 16 EFP strikes in the MND-C area of operations in Iraq, each posing a risk of destroying lives and property.

“EFPs are devices that use explosives to focus a weighed piece of metal, designed solely to defeat armor,” said Loar. “Typically what we see [in Iraq] is a copper or steel plate or bowl, backed with several pounds of explosives. They have a cylindrical shape to them.”

While the risks associated with improvised explosive devices are extremely high, the centralized blast of an EFP can create more directly controlled blasts, with greater results.

“A non-EFP IED will typically send its fragmentation and explosive energy in 360 degrees,” added Loar, a native of Cumberland, Md. “EFPs tend to focus their energy in one-spot. Fragmentation can still travel in a 360, but the focus of power is on a single point.”

Due to the unique design and engineering required to construct an EFP, specific tools need to be used to create them.

“Some of the tell-tale signs of an EFP-maker in the neighborhood are the presence of the special machinery and parts necessary to create them,” explained Loar. “You have to have metal working skills as well as the tools needed to make them – band saws, lathes and hydraulic presses [a minimum of a 10-ton press is required].”

The weapons are generally cylindrical in shape, with the forward end enclosed by a concave metal disk (liner) made from copper, steel, tantalum or depleted uranium.

When the explosive is initiated, the metal liner collapses, forming the disk into a high-velocity slug that penetrates metal with relative ease.

EFPs consist of the liner, which acts as the projectile, the cylindrical body and a base plate made of some combination of metal, wood, plastic and tape.

The liners are typically copper plates, approximately 1/4” inches thick. They are produced in sheets and sized by hydraulic shears (cutters). The sheets are then trimmed down using band saws into the circular shape preferred by terrorists. A die is used to form the shape of the EFP.

Steel cones can also be used, shaped by lathes and pressed into the casing by arbor press, a tool used to press two or more items together.

The housing is formed with round pipes, similar to the type found for irrigation. Band saws are used to cut the pipe to the desired length.

EFPs generally have a distinct cylindrical shape, making it easier for Iraqi security forces and coalition forces to find and disarm the devices. But insurgents have resorted to creative measures to try to camouflage their creations.

“Size wise, they can disguise them with expanded foam or piles of trash on the side of the road. The foam can break up the outline,” added Loar.

EFPs can travel great distances – sometimes their blasts have gone a few miles.

“Their effective range depends on a lot – how well they were constructed, the overall diameter, the weight – these all factor into that,” he said. “Something that weighs several pounds and can travel 5,000 meters a second can travel quite a distance. It’s a big hunk of metal, and it is moving along very quickly.”

While the destructive power of EFPs is unquestionable, ISF and CF have methods and tools at their disposal to counteract their widespread use. Specially armored vehicles and countermeasures designed to defeat EFPs have saved countless ISF and CF lives, but the innocent Iraqi population who travel the roads are not as fortunate.

On Sept. 23, 2008, an IED blast near al-Iskandariyah claimed the life of a man as well as injuring his wife and son. According to Babil police, the family was travelling in their vehicle when the locally-made IED detonated, killing the father.

“It’s a multi-front attack,” added Loar. “We are basically using a network to attack their network. We are attacking their logistics and supply lines.”

If an Iraqi citizen has information about any IEDs or EFPs, Loar recommends contacting their local government officials or the ISF.

“The Iraqi police and Iraqi army have bomb squads, which have been trained [in defeating the devices],” he said. “And they’re very competent.”

As the ISF becomes better prepared to handle and defeat EFPs, they continue to injure and main innocent people, while decimating personal property and buildings that Iraqi citizens live and work in.

“EFPs are designed for one purpose – to destroy people and property,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Drew, IED-Defeat officer-in-charge. “While we can defeat the ones we find, the ones we do not find are killing innocent Iraqis. If the resources used to make EFPs were instead used to build materials that Iraq needs, the Iraqi people would all be better off.”

DVIDS
By Spc. Josh LeCappelain
Multi-National Division-Center Public Affairs Office

Great story about a Fox News cameraman named Chris Jackson. His Marine unit was hit by and IED. He was injured but went back into the burning Humvee to help rescue a Marine. Video at the link, too.

A FOX News cameraman helped save the life of an injured Marine in Afghanistan — and was injured himself — when the armored Humvee convoy he was traveling in was struck by a roadside bomb Sunday night in the Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold.

Two U.S. Marines were badly injured when the improvised explosive device detonated near their convoy. Though FOX News cameraman Chris Jackson was injured in the blast, he went back to the burning vehicle to rescue one of the Marines.

“The cabin was on fire and I jumped out,” said Jackson in a report filed immediately following the attack. “I went, grabbed the sergeant out of the shotgun seat, pulled him out.”

via Grim at Blackfive

Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers disrupted efforts by Special Groups criminals to emplace improvised explosive devices, killing six and wounded another during a joint operation in the New Baghdad security district of eastern Baghdad, June 20.

A group of suspected criminals were seen observing U.S. Soldiers in Shawra Wa Um Jidir, at approximately 7:45 a.m. They pointed at the Soldiers continuously and began using cell phones. Then, one of the men ran into a building and returned with an AK-47 rifle, which he aimed at the Soldiers. The Soldiers engaged the suspect, killing him and one of his cohorts.

About 35 minutes later, the Soldiers spotted three additional criminals engaged in suspicious activity. The Soldiers engaged and killed one of the men as he attempted to emplace an improvised explosive device.

Soldiers at the same location killed another criminal emplacing an IED approximately two hours later. Just after 10:30 a.m., two Special Group criminals attempted to retrieve one of the IEDs. U.S. Soldiers killed one of them and wounded the other.

Another criminal was observed digging a hole to emplace an IED when Soldiers engaged and killed him at approximately 1 p.m.

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Coalition forces killed four and detained nine suspected terrorists while further degrading al-Qaeda in Iraq operations in central and northern Iraq Wednesday and Thursday [June 11-12 2008].

Detainees in custody provided information that led Coalition forces to Diyala province, where they targeted leaders of an al-Qaeda in Iraq suicide-bombing network Thursday. Coalition forces positively identified the targeted individual, known for making suicide vests, and followed him into a remote area north of Baqubah, about 50 kilometers north of Baghdad. The area was believed to be a hideout location used to house weapons. The house was rigged with booby-traps throughout. Coalition forces called for supporting aircraft to engage the area, which triggered several secondary explosions, indicating bomb materials and weapons on the ground. Four terrorists were killed in the engagement. Once the site was safe, the ground force moved in and discovered a tunnel system, fighting positions, weapons, military-style assault vests and documents detailing terrorist operations.

Also Thursday, Coalition forces targeted another member of the Diyala suicide-bombing network who had fled to Tirkit and detained three suspected terrorists during the operation. In Mosul, Coalition forces captured a wanted man and one other suspect who are alleged associates of AQI senior leaders.

A wanted man allegedly involved in producing remote-controlled bomb triggers identified himself to Coalition forces during an operation in Baghdad Thursday. The man, who was detained with an associate, is also suspected of having ties to senior AQI leadership in Baghdad.

Coalition forces also captured an alleged AQI propaganda cell leader Wednesday in Abu Ghraib, about 30 kilometers west of Baghdad. The man is believed to spearhead production and distribution of extremist propaganda in Baghdad and have ties to al-Qaeda members outside Iraq. Coalition forces discovered large amounts of media materials in the target building and detained one additional suspect.

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Multi-National Division – Baghdad aerial weapons teams and an unmanned aerial vehicle killed five criminals in separate air-to-ground engagements in the Sadr City district of Baghdad April 26-27.

At approximately 10 p.m. April 26, the operators of an unmanned aerial vehicle observed two armed criminals who were providing over-watch on a vehicle route, and were believed to be triggermen for an improvised explosive device.

An MND-B aerial weapons team was called into the area and fired one Hellfire missile, killing the two criminals. Soldiers on the ground verified the location of the IED, which was safely removed as a threat.

At approximately 10:30 p.m., MND-B operators of an unmanned aerial vehicle positively identified two armed criminals and engaged them with a hellfire missile, killing both.

At approximately 1 a.m. April 27, the operators of an unmanned aerial vehicle observed two armed criminals who were providing over-watch on a vehicle route, and were believed to be triggermen for an improvised explosive device.

A MND-B aerial weapons team was called into the area and fired one hellfire missile, killing one of the criminals. The second left the scene prior to the AWT engagement.

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Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers engaged and killed 16 criminals in separate engagements in Baghdad April 27.

At approximately 8:30 a.m. an aerial weapons team killed one criminal in northeastern Baghdad after he attacked Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, with small-arms fire.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div., killed one evildoer at approximately 10:50 a.m. in northeastern Baghdad after he attacked their checkpoint with small-arms fire.

At approximately 12:40 p.m., Soldiers from 1-68 AR returned fire and killed two criminals after they fired rocket-propelled grenades at them in northeastern Baghdad. At approximately the same time, Soldiers from 1-68 AR engaged and killed two additional criminals after they were attacked by RPGs in northeastern Baghdad.

Soldiers from 1-68 AR killed one criminal after being attacked with RPGs. The Soldiers responded by engaging him with a M1A2 Abrams tank at approximately 3 p.m. in northeastern Baghdad.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., a group of criminals attacked a combat outpost with small-arms fire in eastern Baghdad. Soldiers from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, returned fire and killed two of the criminals.

At approximately 6 p.m., Soldiers from 1-68 AR were attacked with small-arms fire and RPGs in northeastern Baghdad while conducting a dismounted patrol. Soldiers providing a cordon engaged the criminals with 120 mm tank rounds and machine gun fire from an M1A2 Abrams tank killing seven of the attackers.

“We continue to target enemy forces and criminal elements violating the Iraqi rule of law,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, MND-B and 4th Inf. Div. Spokesman. “Our primary mission is to protect the Iraqi people and we are doing this in full partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces and establishing safe neighborhoods, safe markets and safe roads.”

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Iraqi Army soldiers and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers engaged and killed 22 criminals attacking an Iraqi Security Force Checkpoint April 27, in northeastern Baghdad.

At approximately 6:35 p.m., 11th Iraqi Army Division and MND-B Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were attacked by a large group of criminals engaging with small-arms fire while manning a security checkpoint.

U.S. Soldiers used 120 mm fire from M1A12 Abrams tanks and small-arms fire to kill the 22 criminals, forcing remaining enemy forces present to retreat. The criminals’ small-arms fire was ineffective and there were no U.S. Soldier or ISF casualties in the attack.

“We are not the aggressor,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, MND-B and 4th Inf. Div. spokesman. “However, we will defend ourselves, our Iraqi partners and the Iraqi people from the enemy attack.”

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Multi-National Division – Baghdad soldiers, in a combined operation with Iraqi Army soldiers, killed several criminals in eastern Baghdad after their convoy was attacked by multiple road side bombs, and small-arms fire from adjacent high rise buildings April 11.

At approximately 9 p.m., soldiers from 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division soldiers, supporting Iraqi Army soldiers from the 42nd Brigade, 11th IA Div., killed two criminal snipers, two criminals firing rocket propelled grenades, and multiple others from a nearby building where soldiers were taking RPG and machine gun fire.

At the same time, soldiers from 1st CAB, 68th AR were transporting barriers, in support of Iraqi Army soldiers establishing a checkpoint, when two vehicles in the convoy were damaged when they struck more than six improvised explosive devices.

Small-arms fire, including sniper fire, machine-gun fire and RPGs were fired from buildings overlooking the road. Iraqi Army soldiers and 1-68 AR soldiers immediately returned fire with 7.62mm and 25mm small arms, killing at least four Special Groups members.

Secondary explosions were observed from the building immediately after, possibly indicating arms and munitions were stored in the building.

Small-arms fire continued to come from nearby buildings until 1st CAB, 68th AR engaged the buildings with two 122mm rounds from a M1A2 Abrams tank, killing two criminals and ending the small-arms attack.

At approximately 10:20 p.m., Airmen assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd BCT, operating an unmanned aerial vehicle reconnaissance platform identified three criminals emplacing additional IEDs.

The UAV fired one Hellfire missile, killing all three criminals.

“The most important part about what happened is that this was a combined mission, only two vehicles were damaged, no U.S. or Iraqi Army soldiers were seriously injured, and we went on to complete our mission,” said Maj. John Gossart, executive officer, 1st CAB, 68th AR, 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

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Coalition forces killed five suspected improvised explosive device emplacers and wounded several others after 10 individuals were spotted conducting suspicious activity in the Al Hyyaniyah District, Basra at approximately 11: 45 p.m. March 24.

After verifying the individuals were burying what appeared to be an IED, Coalition forces directed aerial fires against the enemy force.

There were no Coalition force casualties or damage reported.

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