In a ceremony at Hope Chapel on Victory Base Complex Nov. 29, a contingent of military forces from Bosnia-Herzegovina was honored by their Coalition partners for their service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The historic event marked the end of a commitment that started in June 2005.

“This is a historic day for the nation of Iraq and for the nation of Bosnia-Herzegovina,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter, deputy commanding general for operations, Multi-National Corps – Iraq, “It is also a bittersweet day since we must farewell a long time partner of the Coalition but in doing so recognize that their departure represents a great success that has been achieved here in Iraq, success that could not be achieved without their support.”

While the Bosnian-Herzegovina troop numbers were less than 150 soldiers, the commitment was seemingly larger considering the conflicts within their own country.
“Bosnia-Herzegovina has recently come out of a tragic conflict,” said Brig. Gen. Stamenko Novakovic, commander of the 6th Infantry Brigade Bosnia-Herzegovina Armed Forces. “The country is not fully recovered … but we understand the situation in Iraq, and the suffering of the Iraqi people. We found strength to contribute to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“We hope the Soldiers from Bosnia-Herzegovina met their tasks with success and fulfilled your and our expectations and justified invested efforts. To the brotherly people of Iraq we wish that just like in our country that you can overcome every trouble and advance peace and prosperity,” he said.

Making up the Bosnia-Herzegovina contingent were two forces – armed forces security and the explosive ordnance disposal units. The explosive ordnance units provided support to Multi-National Force – West and Multi-National Division – Central. Meanwhile, the infantry element of the Bosnian-Herzegovina forces provided support on Victory Base Complex for Multi-National Division – Bagdad.

Working side-by-side with members of 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, MND-B, the Bosnian-Herzegovina soldiers assisted in base defense by working in tower security operations as well as internal presence patrols. A total of 49 Bosnian-Herzegovina soldiers added to Company B, 1st Battalion, 153rd Infantry Regiment, 39th IBCT, force protection efforts on VBC.

“Our biggest concern at first was the language barrier; however, we quickly realized they had six or seven Soldiers that spoke passable English, which was far better than what we spoke of their language,” said Lt. Col. Brad Cox, commander, 1st Bn., 153rd Inf. Regt. “Soldiers on both sides showed a lot of patience, which led to the building of a great relationship in a short time period. Ultimately, the Bosnian-Herzegovina Soldiers performed side-by-side with our troops, and their performance was no different. Capt. (Dragan) Malic’ (Security Unit Leader) is an outstanding officer, and I rate him against any Soldier in the Army or the world for that matter.”

As the ceremony progressed, Malic’ and Maj. Ibro Alispahic, commander of troops, were presented the United States Army Commendation Medal for their service. As Col. Kendall Penn, commander, 39th IBCT, MND-B, pinned the medal to Malic’s uniform, the two Soldiers, from opposite sides of the world, rendered a salute symbolizing the bond between the Coalition forces in Iraq.

Following the two awards to Malic and Alsipahic, Penn and Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Veazey, senior enlisted leader, 39th IBCT, presented the Army Achievement Medal to all of the Bosnia-Herzegovina soldiers for services rendered Aug. 27 to Dec. 2008.

“Today was a significant event that the 39th brigade is proud to be associated with,” said Penn. “The ‘Bowie Brigade’ has worked with a lot of professional soldiers, both national and international, since arriving in country in March, and I can tell you these are some of the finest soldiers we’ve had the privilege of working with here in Iraq. I’m convinced that the struggles they’ve faced in their own country have made them an even stronger contributor to the future of Iraq—they understand the challenges faced by Iraq.”

Addressing the Bosnian-Herzegovina Soldiers, Maj. Gen. Khudaier Abass of the Iraqi Army, Multi-National Force – Iraq CJ5 Coalition, pointed out that while he spoke English he didn’t want anything lost to translation. “I will speak in Arabic this time as I want to mean every single word that I’m going to say. In English, I can’t express it in the way I want to feel it from my heart toward our friends, our brothers from Bosnia.”

And while his words had to be translated twice, through English and then Bosnian, his heartfelt thanks from the nation of Iraq seemed clear.

“On behalf of the Iraqi Army and all Iraqi people I give thanks and admiration. Bosnia has been through similar circumstances as Iraq is going through now,” Abass said. “Bosnia today provides support and help to our country. We will never forget this help the Iraqi people, the next generation—for what the Bosnian Armed Forces did for Iraq. Iraq is moving forward in the democratic process, development and reconstruction. All of this is due to the help of the Bosnian friendly forces.”

Abass paused for a moment, and then provided an invitation to the soldiers in the room to one day come back to Iraq—as guests.

“God willing, we will meet in the near future in Iraq, and at that time, you and your family will be our guest,” he said. “I wish Bosnia and its’ people prosperity and progress and may God help the Coalition forces and their families.”

MNF-I

Ross McGinnis MoH site

President Bush has announced that Spc. Ross McGinnis will posthumously be awarded the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony June 2, two weeks shy of what would have been his 21st birthday.

McGinnis will be just the second U.S. Soldier to receive the medal for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom and a special Web site dedicated to his heroics has been created by the Soldiers Media Center at www.army.mil/medalofhonor/McGinnis. The site includes a profile on the 1st Infantry Division Soldier, battlescape, background on the medal, video news reports and a number of other resources.

Story of a Hero

McGinnis began his transformation from scrawny boy to standout Soldier at 17, enlisting in the Army through the Delayed Entry Program in June 2004. Although not remembered as a troublemaker, McGinnis was not interested in school, and spent his teen years struggling to eek by.

“He put us through our trials, definitely. From little up, he liked to push the limits,” his mother, Romayne, said. “You never knew what was going to come out of his mouth or out of his actions.”

In high school, McGinnis never made the honor roll or played sports. According to teachers, he made his mark, but in ways that were uniquely Ross.

“He stood out, but just by bits and pieces,” said Franki Sheatz, McGinnis’s 9th and 11th-grade French teacher at Keystone High School. “When he stood out, a lot of times it was because of his wit, or because he was trying to get away with something. He never did any more or less than a lot of the other kids I had in class, although he was charming in his little way.”

His parents and teachers agreed that the catalyst that sparked a change in McGinnis was his decision to join the military.

“He came to us and said he wanted join the Army, and we accepted that,” said McGinnis’s father Tom. The way we looked at it was that he had no intention of going to school, and there really aren’t very good jobs for a person that doesn’t have higher education. The Army was an opportunity for him to be able to get the kind of education that he wanted.”

The younger McGinnis had aspirations of one day becoming an automotive technician. The Army, in his eyes, was a means to that end – a place where he could serve his country as an infantryman, but receive an off-duty education that would prepare him for a future career.

Once McGinnis made the decision to join the Army, that became his focus. “The different conversations I had with Ross sometimes were over academics and encouraging him to do his best and that he had goals in mind,” Vicky Walters, Keystone High’s principal said. “We were encouraging him to complete those goals…He indicated he would do what it took to get the job done.” He would finish high school so he could join the Army.

His parents shared concerns about their son enlisting during a time of war, but knew if he stayed in Knox, his odds of making something of himself were limited. “He had just as much chance at home of ending up dead as he did in Iraq at that point,” Tom said. “When young men get out of school and they don’t have an education, it’s a dangerous life for them for several years. Something could happen at home as quick as it could over there. I knew that in the Army he was going to have a serious discipline. He was going to be trained, and that would help him stay on the right path.”

McGinnis left his rural Pennsylvania town for basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., within days of graduating from Keystone High School, just before his 18th birthday. During the first stage of training, McGinnis’s parents received a phone call from him. “He said the first week was boring, a lot of, ‘Hurry up and wait,’” Romayne said. In subsequent calls, he conveyed his increasing enthusiasm.

“He really liked the physical part of the training. Ross wasn’t one to push a pencil. He wanted to be actively involved,” she said. “He was really excited about the weapons training. While in Boy Scouts, they went to a shooting range once and he really liked that, so it didn’t surprise me when he said he wanted to go with the gunner position.”

According to reports from fellow Soldiers, McGinnis’s interest in weapons was crafted into a skill set that would serve him well in his position as an.50-caliber machine gunner.

Soldier Among Civilians

McGinnis finished basic and then infantry training in Georgia and headed home to Knox on leave before reporting to his first assignment in Germany. The changes in him were evident, and shocking to some.

“He looked so much taller. He wasn’t. I think it was the uniform really,” Romayne said. “But it was, ‘Yes, ma’am,’ and, ‘No, ma’am.” And I was like, ‘Who is this kid?’ He had a lot of respect, not that Ross ever disrespected us, but there was definitely that attitude that the Army had bred into him already in that short amount of time.”

Tom echoed his wife’s feelings about the new Soldier. “When he came home on leave and he was around civilians, he felt uneasy because other people seemed to be sloppy and lazy as compared to what it was like in the military. He was definitely different and thought differently after he’d gone through the training. It was surprising, because I don’t know if I ever knew anyone like that before, especially my own son. He had learned and grown quite a bit.”

His former teachers saw maturity in him that didn’t exist before he became a Soldier. “He has been described as a 100-percent guy or a zero-percent guy,” Erik Sundling, Ross’s 12th-grade English teacher, said when he talked about the effort McGinnis put forth if he was interested in something, and the lack thereof when he wasn’t. “He came back in uniform and he was the 100-percent Ross. He was very proud to wear the uniform.”

When his family learned that McGinnis’s first assignment would be to a Germany-based infantry regiment scheduled for an Iraq deployment, they worried but wished him well. “I told him, ‘Be safe. Think before you act.’ Any parent would say that to their child, I’m sure. We thought he was coming back,” Romayne said.

Soldier’s Soldier

McGinnis arrived in Schweinfurt, Germany in November 2005 and reported to 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment with an influx of Soldiers as the company was preparing for its upcoming mission to Iraq. According to retired Staff Sgt. Ian Newland, he immediately became in instrumental part of the team.

“His personality and humor made him stand out. He was the comedian out of everybody,” Newland, a squad leader with 1st Platoon at the time, said. “You could be having the worst day in the field, or the worst day in the rear “D”, and Ross would come in a room and everybody would be laughing within three minutes.”

Ross was known as the funny guy with an infectious smile from the day he joined the unit, Newland said. “I have this image of him, even today. We were in Germany and he was up on a .50-cal gunning. We had been doing a convoy for probably around eight hours. I was in the vehicle behind him and he turned around and smiled at my gunner. His teeth were just covered in dirt from being up on the gun, but he’s just still smiling ear to ear. That right there was just him.”

His gifts extended beyond platoon funny man according to his leaders, who said he was also a top-notch Soldier.

“I had four platoons, roughly 190 Soldiers in my command. There were certain Soldiers that would stand out. McGinnis was definitely one of those Soldiers,” said Maj. Michael Baka, commander of C Company from June 2005 to March 2007. “He was one of the top members of his platoon. His platoon sergeant handpicked him to serve as the machine gunner on his Humvee, which speaks highly of his performance.” McGinnis excelled in weaponry, marksmanship and physical training as well.

He was also a born leader, Newland said, who knew how to read and react to different Soldiers in a variety of situations. “People responded to him, and he knew how to respond to people’s personalities and characters. That is one of the hardest traits to build as a leader, to be able to adapt, per Soldier. He had that naturally.”

Adamiyah

The first unit from the battalion on the ground, C Co. arrived in Iraq Aug. 4, 2006 following a week of training in Kuwait. Combat Outpost Apache in Adamiyah, a northeast section of Baghdad steeped in sectarian violence, was to be their home. The area had lacked a U.S. presence for eight months.

“There were a lot of kidnappings, killings and a lot of enemy activity in our sector,” Baka said. Insurgent attacks, sniper fire, grenade contact and IEDs were all part of daily life in Adamiyah.

In October, just two months into the deployment, C Co. had already lost two of its Soldiers; Staff Sgt. Garth Sizemore to a sniper’s bullet, and Sgt. Willsun Mock in an IED explosion. In November, after Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity, the battalion fought a five-hour battle against enemy insurgents who attacked the outpost.

By December, the men of 1/26 were battle hardened, but McGinnis had a way of taking the focus off the tragedies.

“He was constantly motivating and positive all the time, and that really helped the platoon out a lot. He was key in our platoon because of that,” Newland said. “Right after we lost Sgt. Sizemore, we were all really shocked – it really hit home. And then Sgt. Mock – we were getting pretty depressed. But Ross, he knew how to take our attention off of that – all of us – from senior leaders to your private Joe. He knew how to respond.”

That Fateful Day

Dec. 4, 2006, 1st Plt. was gearing up to patrol the streets of Adamiyah and deliver a 250-kilowatt generator to provide increased electricity to the area. Insurgents had been lobbing grenades at vehicles on patrols, and in response the platoon had honed it’s reaction skills through a series of training scenarios Newland likened to fire drills. He had experienced such an incident nine days earlier on patrol, but the grenade turned out to be a dud.

As they rolled out of Apache’s gates, the men in the six-vehicle patrol felt up to their mission, despite ever-present dangers, as they did each time they patrolled Adamiyah’s streets, Baka said. “We had only just left the gate. We were moving deliberately down the streets, and had just taken a left-hand turn on a main road just south of Abu Hanifah mosque.”

Baka’s was the fourth vehicle in the order of movement. The platoon sergeant’s vehicle was the last, as is typical for a standard patrol, and McGinnis manned its machine gun.

According to official statements from Sgt. Lyle Buehler (the driver), Sgt. 1st Class Cedric Thomas (platoon sergeant and truck commander), Spc. Sean Lawson (medic) and Newland, McGinnis sat in the gunner strap, .50-cal at the ready, facing backward to ensure rear security. Buehler and Thomas rode in the front of the vehicle, and Newland and Lawson in the back.

As the sixth vehicle made the left turn, Baka heard a loud explosion. His initial thought was that a grenade had exploded outside his own up-armored Humvee. Baka’s machine gunner got on the intercom and said, “Sir, it looks like our last vehicle got hit.” All four of the Humvee’s doors had been blown off. Baka ordered his vehicle and the one behind it to turn around. “Once I saw the vehicle I knew right away that we had a hand grenade that had entered the vehicle, and that we had a large number of casualties,” he said.

Baka got a new driver for the crippled but still running Humvee, and they headed back to Apache. He said he knew the Soldiers had sustained injuries, but did not know to what extent until arriving at the outpost. He didn’t know that McGinnis was dead, or that he died a hero.

Thomas pulled Baka aside within minutes of arriving at Apache and said, “Sir, McGinnis saved our lives today.” Then he told the story that would support that statement.

An insurgent on a nearby rooftop threw a grenade at McGinnis’s vehicle. He unsuccessfully attempted to deflect the grenade, and it entered the vehicle behind him. McGinnis quickly announced, “Grenade!”

According to official accounts by survivors, McGinnis stood up and was preparing to jump out of the vehicle. “That is what the machine gunner is supposed to do,” Baka said. “He’s supposed to announce the grenade, give a fair amount of time for people in the vehicle to react, and then he’s supposed to save himself. No one would have blamed him if he did that, because that is what he was trained to do.”

This time, the 19-year-old Soldier would not heed his training.

The other Soldiers asked, “Where?” McGinnis’s response – “It’s in the truck!”

McGinnis saw the grenade sitting on the radio mount behind him and realized the others weren’t aware of its location. They were combat-locked in the Humvee and would not have time to escape. As he gave his response, he pushed the gunner strap out from under him and laid his back on top of the grenade. It detonated, killing him instantly.

Buehler and Thomas received minor shrapnel injuries, and Lawson suffered a perforated eardrum and concussion. Newland received more of the blast and was severely wounded, but would survive. “The driver and truck commander I am certain would have been killed if that blast had taken full effect,” Baka said.

Newland, who was medically retired because of his injuries, was able to protect himself because of McGinnis’s warning. “He put his arm over his face, which I think saved his life, because a piece of shrapnel hit him in the arm. Another hit him in the chin and some in his legs. But he’s alive today,” Baka added.

Within 24 hours of McGinnis’s sacrifice, Baka gathered statements from the survivors and wrote the recommendation for his Medal of Honor. He received the Silver Star, the third-highest award for valor, as an interim award.

Magnitude of his Sacrifice

“The first time it became full magnitude for me was when we were loading his body onto the helicopter for the hero flight – that’s standard,” Baka said. The unit held a small, informal ceremony and Baka led them in a prayer, as there was no chaplain at the combat outpost. As the helicopter flew away, they saluted the young man who laid down his life so the men he loved and served with could live.

“We have hero flights for every Soldier, and every Soldier that gives his life’s a hero. But McGinnis, in my mind, is the definition of hero,” Baka said. “From this day forward if anyone ever asks me to define the word hero, I would simply tell them the story of Spc. Ross McGinnis and the actions he took that day to save four of his brothers.”

For the men who survived, each breath they take serves as a reminder of McGinnis’s courageous sacrifice.

“By all means I should have died that day. He gave me a life that he can’t have now,” Newland said. “There isn’t a single day or hour that goes by that I don’t take in everything. The smell of my daughter’s hair, the smile my son gives me out of nowhere, the soft touch of my wife’s hand just driving in the car. Normally those are things people might take for granted. I’m able to appreciate and have these things all over again, every day, every hour, because of what Ross did.”

Regular Guy Who did an Extraordinary Thing

Tom McGinnis is still adjusting to the fact that his son, who he described as average, often to the point of being an underachiever, is receiving the Medal of Honor.

“I never pictured what a Medal of Honor winner is supposed to look like, but I guess I would think of somebody like a John Wayne character in the movies, where the guy is macho and tough and fear is nothing,” Tom said. “But of course, that’s not anywhere close to what my son, Ross, was like. Although he had very little fear in him, he wasn’t a tough, macho type of person. He was just like you and me.” For those outside the Army closest to McGinnis, he was a regular guy who came through for his friends when it mattered.

Remembering Ross McGinnis

For his brothers in arms, the best way to remember McGinnis is to tell the story of what he did for them Dec. 4, 2006, and to live their lives every day with purpose and meaning.

“I think for me to thank him, is to do everything I can to live my life to the fullest,” Newland said. “Because if he can have courage like that, if he can give up his 19-year-old life, then I can live the rest of my life, however long it is, to every day’s fullest.”

The family McGinnis left behind still wrestles with his hero status and the wounds that haven’t had a chance to heal. Tom and Romayne said the constant focus on their son and what he did honors his memory, but keeps already raw emotions on the surface.

“It’s been good, because people want to keep his memory alive, and people do things to show you that it really meant a lot to them,” Tom said. “But at the same time, it doesn’t give us a chance to just drop it for a while…it keeps that wound fresh. It’s painful, but eventually once everything dies down, then I think that the healing process will start.”

The McGinnis’s remember their son as an average kid who made mistakes but found purpose and direction as he became a young man, just like many other kids out of high school. For them, it is difficult to think of Ross as the larger-than-life character others may see him as because of his sacrifice.

“I’ve had people ask me if I’d like a book or a movie written about him, and I say, ‘No.” They would have to write so much into this to make it readable or viewable that Ross wouldn’t even be in there. It wouldn’t be him,” Tom said. “It would be somebody else, because his life was dull, boring and nothing to write about. He was just an ordinary person who, when it came time, did the right thing, and that’s the most important thing to remember about him.”

(This story was written from videotaped interviews of the sources. Sgt. 1st Class Pete Mayes and Staff Sgt. Ray Flores of Soldiers Radio and Television conducted the interviews.)

U.S. Army
BY Carrie McLeroy

Spc. Ross McGinnis, who was killed Dec. 4, 2006, in Iraq when he smothered a grenade with his body, will receive the Medal of Honor, sources told Army Times.

McGinnis, 19, is the second soldier to receive the nation’s highest valor award for actions while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, who was killed April 4, 2003, fighting off insurgents in a fierce firefight south of Baghdad, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor two years after he died.

McGinnis, of 1st Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, is credited with saving the lives of four fellow soldiers.

On Dec. 4, 2006, McGinnis was manning the turret in the last Humvee of a six-vehicle patrol in Adhamiyah in northeast Baghdad when an insurgent threw a grenade from the roof of a nearby building.

“Grenade!” yelled McGinnis, who was manning the vehicle’s M2 .50-caliber machine gun.

McGinnis, facing backwards because he was in the rear vehicle, tried to deflect the grenade but it fell into the Humvee and lodged between the radios.

As he stood up to get ready to jump out of the vehicle, as he had been trained to do, McGinnis realized the other four soldiers in the Humvee did not know where the grenade had landed and did not have enough time to escape.

McGinnis, a native of Knox, Pa., threw his back against the radio mount, where the grenade was lodged, and smothered the explosive with his body.

The grenade exploded, hitting McGinnis on his sides and lower back, under his vest. He was killed instantly. The other four men survived.

Army Times

A comment left on Blackfive’s story about McGinnis:

SPC McGinnis was a great soldier and I am alive due to his sacrifice. I was the driver of the vehicle the day we lost Ross to a cowardly enemy. I thank God everyday for blessing me with the opportunity to serve with such a brave man. For those of you that think the award process is moving to slow just know that it is seen and evaluated by many people in our chain of command. I as well would like to see it ASAP. The award requires alot of diagrams, witness statements from all who were there, and those that approve and later send to congress need to see what happened in detail otherwise they would be giving awards based on word of mouth.

I agree with SSG Troy Smith, it is carefully looked over so that no fraudelant cases arise. I have no doubt in my mind that he will receive the nation’s highest honor for his heroism. God bless his family and parents for raising such a wonderful person, soldier, friend, and brother!

Rest in Peace Ross. Gone, but never forgotten!

I love you little brother. Thank you for my continued life here on earth and I look forward to seeing you in heaven.
Posted by: SGT Lyle Buehler

A hard fought transition brought one Marine from shooting photos to shooting rifles.

Cpl. Andrew M. Oquendo, a scout with Delta Company, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, went from photographer with the U.S. Air Force to infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The 22-year-old infantryman from Paterson, N.J., joined the Air Force after struggling to make payments for his tuition at Delaware State University.

Oquendo was determined to experience what it takes to be successful, so after talking with a high-school friend and a recruiter, he reported to boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, in February 2005.

“The Air Force was the only branch I could think of that I wanted to join,” said Oquendo. “I didn’t see any other options, so I signed the dotted line to start my future.”

Upon graduation, he felt a sense of pride in becoming a member of the U.S. military.

“I felt like most Marines feel when they graduate boot camp and earn the Eagle, Globe and Anchor,” he said. “I felt like I was on top of the world.”

The new airman checked into the Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Md., to earn the military occupational specialty of photographer. After graduating the course and arriving to his first duty station at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, Oquendo deployed in July 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“I was in Qatar temporarily until my unit was visited by Maj. Gen. Anthony Przybyslawski (former commanding general of U.S. Air Force Personnel Center), and I took pictures of him,” Oquendo said. “He liked the photos so much he asked if I could accompany him through the rest of his tour.”

During the tour, Oquendo saw Marine infantrymen conducting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and had a feeling that something was missing in his life. He felt he wasn’t contributing enough to the Global War on Terrorism.

“I knew what I really wanted to do, so I had to do whatever it took to achieve it,” said Oquendo.

After building the courage, he talked to Maj. Gen. Przybyslawski about his ambitions and got the assistance he needed to make the transition from the Air Force to the Marine Corps.

“I went to the administrative center to apply for separation forms and the lady at the front desk thought I was crazy for filling it out after how long I’d been in,” said Oquendo. “Little did she know how committed I was to becoming a Marine.”

Within two weeks, his separation request was approved and he left the Air Force Nov. 1, 2006. Oquendo stepped on the “Yellow Footprints” at Parris Island, S.C., Nov. 27, 2006, with the ambition of becoming an infantry Marine.

The newest Marine recruit was prepared for whatever he had to face. According to him, he was looked up to by most members of his platoon.

“Since I had been in the military for two years, it was kind of like cheating because a lot of times were easier for me than the other recruits,” Oquendo said.

Now deployed to Iraq for his second combat tour, but this time with the Marine infantry, he is as happy as ever.

“I wanted to be an infantryman because it’s the backbone of the Marine Corps,” said Oquendo. “It’s the stuff you read about in the history books; making a difference in the world.”

He added he wanted to be part of a brotherhood that would make history.

“When it comes to motivation, Oquendo brings it to a different level,” said Sgt. James D. Leach, a scout squad leader with Delta Company, 2nd LAR. “It’s good having him around.”

DVIDS
By Cpl. Ryan L. Tomlinson
Regimental Combat Team 5

LOS ANGELES (April 3, 2008) Sara Monsoor speaks to the media about her brother, Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor, who will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony April 8. Monsoor’s family will accept the award for his actions during combat operations in Iraq when he threw himself onto a grenade, shielding three other SEAls and three Iraqi Army soldiers. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michelle L. Kapica

Click here to see the stories of the first three winners of the Medal of Honor in the War on Terror.




Bio:

Petty Officer Second Class Michael Anthony Monsoor was born April 5, 1981 in Long Beach, Calif. Michael grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., as the third of four children of George and Sally Monsoor. He has an older brother James and older sister Sara, and a younger brother Joseph.

Michael attended Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate School and Garden Grove High School where he played tight end on the Argonaut football team and graduated in 1999. An incredible athlete, Mike enjoyed snowboarding, body boarding, spear fishing, motorcycle riding, and driving his Corvette. His quiet demeanor and dedication to his friends matched the “Silent Warrior” SEAL mentality that was to become his calling in life.

Michael enlisted in the U.S. Navy March 21, 2001, and attended Basic Training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Upon graduation from basic training, he attended Quartermaster “A” School, and then transferred to Naval Air Station, Sigonella, Italy for a short period of time.

Petty Officer Monsoor entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., and subsequently graduated with Class 250 on Sept. 2, 2004 as one of the top performers in his class. After BUD/S, he completed advanced SEAL training courses including parachute training at Basic Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga., cold weather combat training in Kodiak, Alaska, and six months of SEAL Qualification Training in Coronado, graduating in March 2005. The following month, his rating changed from Quartermaster to Master-at-Arms, and he was assigned to SEAL Team 3 Delta Platoon. He deployed with his platoon to Iraq in April 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was assigned to Task Unit Bravo in Ar Ramadi.

From April to Sept. 29, 2006, Mike served as a heavy weapons machine gunner in Delta Platoon, SEAL Team 3. During combat patrols he walked behind the platoon point man with his Mk 48 machinegun so that he could protect his platoon from a frontal enemy attack. Mike was also a SEAL communicator. On 15 operations, he carried a rucksack full of communications equipment in addition to his machinegun and full ammunition load-out. Collectively it weighed more than 100 pounds. He bore the weight without a single complaint, even in the midst of the 130 degree Western Iraqi summer.

Mike and his platoon operated in a highly contested part of Ramadi city called the Ma’laab district. During their deployment, Mike and his fellow SEALS came under enemy attack on 75 percent of their missions. On May 9, 2006 Mike rescued a SEAL who was shot in the leg. He ran out into the street with another SEAL, shot cover fire and dragged his comrade to safety while enemy bullets kicked up the concrete at their feet. For this brave action, he earned a Silver Star.

The enemy could not deter Michael and his SEAL platoon. They fought in 35 heated firefights; during these incidents Mike shot tens of thousands of 7.62 millimeter rounds to cover Delta Platoon’s movement through streets that seemed to be paved with fire. In the Ma’laab district, Michael perfected his skills as an urban machine gunner. Once he and his men established a sniper overwatch position, he deftly transitioned to his role as a SEAL communicator calling in tank support and transmitting enemy situation reports to the 1-506 PIR Commander.

Delta Platoon executed a broad spectrum of combat operations in and around Ramadi. They patrolled bravely through the city streets engaging in firefights while on other occasions, they ambushed insurgent mortar teams near the banks of the Euphrates River. Mike and his fellow SEALs accounted for 84 enemy fighters killed in action and the detainment of numerous insurgents. Most notably, the Army Infantry, Navy SEAL and Iraqi Army combined force helped to pacify the most violent city in Al Anbar province setting conditions for the Sunni Awakening.

Petty Officer Monsoor was subsequently awarded the Bronze Star as the Task Unit Ramadi, Iraq Combat Advisor from April to September 2006. His leadership, guidance and decisive actions during 11 different combat operations saved the lives of his teammates, other Coalition Forces and Iraqi Army soldiers.

Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony at the White House April 8, 2008. He will receive the award for his actions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on Sept. 29, 2006. On that day, Monsoor was part of a sniper overwatch security position with three other SEALs and eight Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers. An insurgent closed in and threw a fragmentation grenade into the overwatch position. The grenade hit Monsoor in the chest before falling to the ground. Positioned next to the single exit, Monsoor was the only one who could have escaped harm. Instead, he dropped onto the grenade to shield the others from the blast. Monsoor died approximately 30 minutes later from wounds sustained from the blast. Because of Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions, he saved the lives of his 3 teammates and the IA soldiers.

Though he carried himself in a calm and composed fashion, he constantly led the charge to bring the fight to the enemy. His teammates recall his sense of loyalty to God, family, and his team. He attended Catholic Mass devotionally before operations, and often spoke lovingly of his family – his older brother, a police officer and former Marine for whom he held great respect; his sister, a nurse; and his younger brother, a college football player.

Mike was one of the bravest men on the battlefield, never allowing the enemy to discourage him. He remained fearless while facing constant danger, and through his selfless nature and aggressive actions, saved the lives of coalition soldiers and his fellow SEALs. He was a loyal friend and exceptional SEAL, and he is sorely missed by his brothers in Task Unit Bravo.

He is survived by his mother Sally, his father George, his sister Sara, and his two brothers James and Joseph.

Summary of Action:

Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy, distinguished himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Combat Advisor and Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006. He displayed great personal courage and exceptional bravery while conducting operations in enemy held territory at Ar Ramadi Iraq.

During Operation Kentucky Jumper, a combined Coalition battalion clearance and isolation operation in southern Ar Ramadi, he served as automatic weapons gunner in a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army (IA) sniper overwatch element positioned on a residential rooftop in a violent sector and historical stronghold for insurgents. In the morning, his team observed four enemy fighters armed with AK-47s reconnoitering from roads in the sector to conduct follow-on attacks. SEAL snipers from his roof engaged two of them which resulted in one enemy wounded in action and one enemy killed in action. A mutually supporting SEAL/IA position also killed an enemy fighter during the morning hours. After the engagements, the local populace blocked off the roads in the area with rocks to keep civilians away and to warn insurgents of the presence of his Coalition sniper element. Additionally, a nearby mosque called insurgents to arms to fight Coalition Forces.

In the early afternoon, enemy fighters attacked his position with automatic weapons fire from a moving vehicle. The SEALs fired back and stood their ground. Shortly thereafter, an enemy fighter shot a rocket-propelled grenade at his building. Though well-acquainted with enemy tactics in Ar Ramadi, and keenly aware that the enemy would continue to attack, the SEALs remained on the battlefield in order to carry out the mission of guarding the western flank of the main effort.

Due to expected enemy action, the officer in charge repositioned him with his automatic heavy machine gun in the direction of the enemy’s most likely avenue of approach. He placed him in a small, confined sniper hide-sight between two SEAL snipers on an outcropping of the roof, which allowed the three SEALs maximum coverage of the area. He was located closest to the egress route out of the sniper hide-sight watching for enemy activity through a tactical periscope over the parapet wall. While vigilantly watching for enemy activity, an enemy fighter hurled a hand grenade onto the roof from an unseen location. The grenade hit him in the chest and bounced onto the deck. He immediately leapt to his feet and yelled “grenade” to alert his teammates of impending danger, but they could not evacuate the sniper hide-sight in time to escape harm. Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself onto the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity. The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him.

Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions could not have been more selfless or clearly intentional. Of the three SEALs on that rooftop corner, he had the only avenue of escape away from the blast, and if he had so chosen, he could have easily escaped. Instead, Monsoor chose to protect his comrades by the sacrifice of his own life. By his courageous and selfless actions, he saved the lives of his two fellow SEALs and he is the most deserving of the special recognition afforded by awarding the Medal of Honor.

Click here for an e-book with the stories of the first three winners of the Medal of Honor for the War on Terror.



White House

Next week there will be a Medal of Honor ceremony, posthumous ceremony — posthumous award, excuse me, for Petty Officer Michael Monsoor. The ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8th. Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism on September 29, 2006, while serving as Task Unit Ramadi Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Navy
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Menzie, Naval Special Forces Warfare Command Public Affairs

A Navy SEAL who sacrificed himself to save his teammates during combat operations in Iraq will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush the White House announced March 31.

The parents of Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will accept the nation’s highest military honor on behalf of their son during a White House ceremony April 8. The medal is awarded for ‘conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty’ by a member of the U.S. Armed Forces during combat against an enemy.

“I was happy to hear Mike will get the Medal of Honor,” said Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Tom DeShazo, who worked closely with Monsoor during the mission. “It is not something he would ever seek out or expect; but his clear decision to sacrifice his own life to save his teammates is worthy of this honor.”

Monsoor, a 25 year-old machine gunner with SEAL Team 3, was providing security at a sniper lookout post on Sept. 29, 2006 in Ramadi when a grenade hit his chest and bounced to the floor. With only a moment to act, Monsoor threw himself onto the grenade, shielding three other SEALs and three Iraqi Army soldiers from the resulting blast.

“He had a love and respect for his teammates and his platoon. His nature was to complete the most difficult tasks without question,” said Lt. Cmdr. Seth Stone, who served as officer in charge of Monsoor’s unit during the action. “He was a fantastic warrior.”

Although Monsoor died from his injuries, the two SEALs only a few feet from him survived with significant shrapnel wounds. The other SEAL and the Iraqi soldiers were either unharmed or received only minor injuries.

“Mike Monsoor exemplified the SEAL ethos,” said Rear Adm. Joseph Kernan, the Commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command in San Diego. “He led by example and protected his teammates to the very end. But more than that, Mike was a brother in our family. We will honor him every day by upholding the values he shared with us as SEALs.”

Monsoor is the first Navy SEAL to earn the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq and the second Navy SEAL to receive the award since Sept. 11, 2001. The other recipient, Lt. Michael P. Murphy, was recognized posthumously last October for his valor in combat alongside three other SEALs during a battle with Taliban forces in Afghanistan in 2005. Monsoor is the fifth armed forces service member to receive the Medal of Honor since the beginning of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Monsoor will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon during a ceremony scheduled April 9. His name will be engraved beside the names of some 3,401 other service members who have also been awarded the nation’s highest honor. Monsoor was previously awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star (with Combat V) and the Purple Heart.

Awarded by the President in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor was created in 1861 as a personal award of valor for members of the Navy. Soon thereafter, another version was created for the Army and ultimately the Medal of Honor was presented to more than 1,500 Civil War veterans. Later the Air Force created its own unique Medal of Honor design. Marines and Coast Guardsmen are awarded the Navy’s version of the Medal of Honor.

U.S. Navy SEALs are the maritime component of U.S. Special Operations Command and the Navy’s special operations force. The SEALs take their name from the elements from which they operate – sea, air and land. Experts in special reconnaissance and direct action missions – SEALs continue to successfully execute DoD’s most important warfighting missions in the global war on terrorism.

Silver Star

Any Marine would brave enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade when you have friends that “got your back.”

Cpl. Ian M. Dollard exemplified that sense of brotherhood when he risked his life to save a fellow Marine.

For his actions while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dollard received the Silver Star — the nation’s third highest award for combat heroism.

His former company commander, Maj. George D. Hasseltine, pinned the award on Dollard during a ceremony on Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field here March 21.

The date was June 24, 2007. While checking a vehicle, Dollard and his men were attacked by automatic machine gun fire.

According to the award citation, Dollard promptly returned fire with his weapon so his Marines could come to the aid of a Marine who was wounded in the attack. Then Dollard and his men started receiving automatic machine gun fire from a second position, which inflicted two gunshot wounds to his platoon commander.

Dollard wasn’t going to let the enemy get away with that. He said adrenaline and suppressive fire from his Marines helped him run to the sound of the enemy’s gunfire.

Without regard for his personal well-being, Dollard narrowly avoided enemy bullets to reach his commander. He then shielded his commander from danger, only to get struck himself, taking two rounds his upper torso body armor.

He was dazed but still insisted to provide first aid to his commander. Then he dragged the lieutenant 25 meters and continued to provide first aid. Seconds later, Dollard was struck in the leg by small arms fire. He refused medical care, then directed his fire team to tend to his commander’s wounds.

Even after a vehicle arrived to the Marines’ rescue, Dollard still refused medical attention until his wounded Marines were treated first.

Dollard’s parents are extremely proud of their son’s accomplishments.

“Ever since he was born I knew he was going to be special,” said Judy Dollard, mother of Cpl. Dollard, of Pleasant, Calif. “It was something that I just felt. He always was that kind of guy that stood up for his friends.”

Cpl. Dollard’s father said he didn’t expect anything like this.

“I know he worked hard in Iraq,” said Todd Dollard, father of the Silver Star Medal recipient. “It’s nice to have something like this to focus it all. Everybody we’ve talked to about this [has] been supportive of this.”

Cpl. Dollard’s former company commander flew here from Arizona to be a part of ceremony.

“I wanted to recognize his achievement and the achievements of the company,” said Hasseltine, Company F’s commander during the time of Dollard’s heroic actions.

Dollard was grateful for the award, but humble.

“I don’t know what to say; it feels good,” he said. “It was a lot of adrenaline. I know I had machine guns doing their job, so I felt safer.”

Dollard currently works as a lifeguard at one of the recreational swimming facilities here and will do so until his Marine Corps contract expires in September.

Meanwhile, Dollard’s former unit will become the first battalion-sized Marine unit to support the Afghan National Police in Afghanistan when they deploy this spring.

Marine Corps News
By Cpl. Ray Lewis, 1st Marine Division

Not many people can say they’ve escorted a V.I.P. through the streets of al-Anbar and helped diffuse a bomb in the same day.

These service members can.

The Marines and Sailors with Security Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, support a wide-array of missions and come from numerous military occupations, said 1st Lt. Thomas J. Beck, the company’s executive officer.

They arrived in late February and have already played vital roles in several types of operations – providing security for civilian and military convoys, assisting the recovery of immobilized vehicles, participating in mounted security patrols and standing up a personal security detachment for the battalion’s commanding officer.

The company also keeps a squad ready to support explosive ordnance disposal technicians on call to disarm potential improvised explosive devices and mitigate other explosive threats.

A majority of the unit deployed from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and consists of motor-vehicle and heavy-equipment operators, radio operators and mechanics, to name a few.

“This is kind of a mixed unit,” said Beck, a 25-year-old from Edgewood, Ky. He said the Marines come from more than 30 different job specialties and all of them “have taken a leadership role.”

“It really gives us an excellent flexibility in our mission,” added Beck, who’s based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. “If a vehicle breaks down out there, chances are good I’ll have someone who can take a quick look at it, (perform) some tactical maintenance, and get it back on the road.”

Sgt. John E. Smolinski, security commander for 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Security Company, has served four deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As the only trained combat engineer in the company, he remembers filling security billets during the initial coalition push in 2003, and said designating a company to perform those duties was a good idea.

“Back then, we didn’t have actual security detachments like this,” said Smolinski, a 24-year-old from Mobile, Ala. “It’s nice because we don’t have to take other Marines (in the battalion) away from their jobs to provide security.”

Smolinski and his squad provided security for civilian contractors while traveling to Baghdad International Airport Feb. 8. He wrote the orders, gathered intelligence on the route, took charge of personnel accountability and created a medical evacuation plan.

Delegating these weighty responsibilities to a sergeant highlights the strength and abilities of a unit’s noncommissioned officers, said 1st Sgt. Kevin M. Fountain, the company first sergeant.

“The security commanders are in control of everything, and they’re always (noncommissioned officers),” said Fountain, 37, from Plattsburgh, N.Y. “It just goes to show that this whole war is about small-unit leadership.”

The company is scheduled to return to the United States this summer.

DVIDS
By Cpl. Ben Eberle
1st Marine Logistics Group Public Affairs

Medal of Honor posthumously

DoD

The Department of Defense announced Oct. 2, 2006 the death of a Sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor, 25, of Garden Grove, Calif., died Sept. 29 while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Ramadi, Iraq.

Monsoor was a SEAL (Sea, Air, Land) assigned to a West-Coast based command.

Michael Fumento reports that Navy Seal SO2 Michael A. Monsoor will be awarded the Medal of Honor. More when the DoD posts the info. Here is what he did to deserve this honor.

Fox News

Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor had been near the only door to the rooftop structure Sept. 29 when the grenade hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor, said four SEALs who spoke to The Associated Press this week on condition of anonymity because their work requires their identities to remain secret.

“He never took his eye off the grenade, his only movement was down toward it,” said a 28-year-old lieutenant who sustained shrapnel wounds to both legs that day. “He undoubtedly saved mine and the other SEALs’ lives, and we owe him.”

Monsoor, a 25-year-old gunner, was killed in the explosion in Ramadi, west of Baghdad. He was only the second SEAL to die in Iraq since the war began.

Two SEALs next to Monsoor were injured; another who was 10 to 15 feet from the blast was unhurt. The four had been working with Iraqi soldiers providing sniper security while U.S. and Iraqi forces conducted missions in the area.

Blackfive

Last Friday in Ramadi, Iraq SEAL Team THREE lost its second SEAL in combat, SO2 Michael A. Monsoor. Mike was from Garden Grove, CA and having failed to complete BUD/S training his first time around, Mike was undeterred. He came back through and made it this time. Details of the operation he was involved in have yet to be released by the Navy, but all of the verbal reports that I have received from friends still on active duty indicate that it is probably time to rename the Galley at NAB Coronado and stand by for a Medal of Honor nomination.

Found via Rusty at Jawa

MNF-I
Story by Sgt. Jerome Bishop, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs

The railroad lines of the Taji Qada, north of Baghdad, have laid dormant since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, but as a result of the efforts of Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers, the first train let loose a thunderous blast of its horn March. 5, as it slowly rolled through the gates of Camp Taji.

“This particular train … is part of a proof of principle,” said Cpt. James Kerns, a Harrison County, Ky., native, who serves as the assistant operations officer for the Base Defense Operations Command (BDOC), Multi-National Division – Baghdad. “(This mission was executed) to facilitate the Iraqi railroad infrastructure improvement so they can, in the future, utilize the train and rail system to carry goods.”

With a functioning rail system, the Iraqi Security Forces can benefit from the results as well as the people of Iraq.

“It’s an enduring mission. The Iraqi railroads are being put back in, and it’s going to change the face of Taji,” said Maj. Henry McNealy, a Dewey Beach, Del., native, who serves as the operations officer for the BDOC. “It’ll become a consistent train; hopefully, over time, the infrastructure of Iraq will be rebuilt.”

The train is a big piece of getting Iraq back on line, McNealy added.

“Every year, something big usually happens – last year it was getting the oil lines back up – the electric lines running again, and this year it’ll probably be getting the rail going all the way from Mosul to Baghdad – being unimpeded by criminal elements, al-Qaeda in Iraq or special groups,” he explained.

Soldiers of the 2nd Bn., 11th FA Regt., took part in the operation by providing security alongside their Iraqi Army counterparts.

The leg work, as far as conducting, maintaining and navigating the locomotive to Camp Taji, was performed by the Government of Iraq with minimal Coalition assistance, said Kern.

“We’re facilitating the force protection requirements to bring the train in safely,” he explained.

Among the benefits the Government of Iraq is likely to gain, one of the greatest is getting more equipment from place to place without putting Iraqi or Coalition forces on dangerous roads.

“This is going to help out a lot if the train makes it every time. If you have two or three guys in a truck, you’ll have 50 guys driving a bunch of smaller trucks. (With the rail system operational), you’ll have less guys out there on the road and less chances of casualties happening,” said 1st Sgt. Dwalyn Dasher, a Jesup, Ga., native, who serves with Battery A, 2-11 FA Regt. Battery B provided the bulk of the force protection measures at the Camp Taji train yard.

In addition to contributing to military operations throughout the country, a functioning rail system also provides the potential for a larger benefit for the average Iraqi.

“It’ll bring business into the area; it’s going to bring economic goods into the area, and it’s going to allow the Iraqi Army to facilitate and sustain their own operations in the future,” Kern said. “Hopefully, in the not-so-distant future, improve security operations for the Iraqi Army by allowing them to bring military equipment into the area and more sustainment items to Camp Taji and further north into Iraq.”

Despite the short-lived spectacle of watching the green and yellow locomotive slowly roll through the almost-abandoned railroad gate, the bellow of the engine’s horn echoed yet another promising addition to the growing list of successful changes taking place to benefit the future of a free Iraq.

Task Force Marne

Residents of Salman Pak and al Lej breathed a collective sigh of relief Feb. 29 as more than 150 Sons of Iraq, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces leaders met to celebrate the reopening of the al Lej road, the main thoroughfare connecting Salman Pak and al Lej.

The road had been closed to civilians after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated at a traffic checkpoint, killing seven Iraqi National Policemen in May.

Since construction began more than two weeks ago on Combat Outpost Carver, home to Company B, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, Soldiers had been assessing needs of local. Their number one concern: reopen the road to Salman Pak.

Coalition leaders, local ISF and SoI members, began working together on a plan to restore and improve Checkpoint 600, where the attack had occurred and set the conditions for safe movement of civilians along the road.

Local leaders hope the checkpoint and road reopening will bring more people to the area.

“We have reopened the city of Salman Pak to Dura’iya, Kanasa, and al Lej – the whole Mada’in Qada can now move freely,” said Brig. Gen. Aamir, the 1st Brigade, 1st National Police commander, following the road’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sheik Ali Hussein, the SoI leader for Salman Pak and al Bawi, opened his home for a luncheon attended by the more than 150 guests after the ceremony.

“We are finally to the point where we can come to an event and see Sunni and Shia sheiks working together to secure their country,” said the 1-15th Inf. Regt. Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Moore, from Waverly Hall, Ga.

Company B, 1-15th Inf. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March, 2007.

Spc. Erin Hammer, from Manti, Utah, and Spc. Ronald Gardner, Durant, from Okla., both Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, pose behind munitions seized from a weapon cache in Jurf Nadaf, a village east of Baghdad, Feb. 10. Standing to the side is Sgt. 1st Class Maxwell Donahue, from Damariscotta, Maine. (Photo courtesy of 3-1st Cav. Regt.)

Rock of the Marne

Soldiers from Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment seized a cache of explosively-formed penetrators near Jurf Nadaf, a village east of Baghdad, Feb. 10.

The cache was the second seizure of munitions in the village by Troop C within a 72-hour period.

“Finding caches like this saves Soldier and civilian lives, and that is an important part of what we do,” said Sgt. Kenneth Storts, from Corning, Ohio, a cavalry scout in Troop C.

The cache contained five EFPs, three rocket-propelled grenades, 28 grenades and various materials commonly used in the making of roadside bombs.

Soldiers were searching an abandoned home after a tip from a local resident. While searching, Spc. Ronald Gardner, from Durant, Okla., found an infrared sensor. Infrared sensors are often used as triggers for EFPs.

“At first we didn’t know if it was hooked up to anything,” Gardner said. “That is when (Sgt. 1st Class Maxwell Donahue) told us to search the whole field.”

It was during the search of the surrounding fields and nearby abandoned buildings that they discovered the cache.

On Feb. 8, Soldiers from Troop C seized a similar cache in Jurf Nadaf containing 13 EFPs and various munitions.

The 3-1 Cav. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March.

Army Reservist Sgt. Zsuzsanna Lee provides security while waiting to extract a casualty Tuesday, Jan. 29, during a simulated insurgent attack at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind. Lee is a member of the 55th Sustainment Brigade, Fort Belvoir, Va., which is currently training at Camp Atterbury prior to their scheduled deployment to Iraq in February. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. 1st Class Peter Eustaquio)

DVIDS

Since the beginning, coalition forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom have championed the cause of engaging enemy forces in Iraq and developing the country into a free, democratic nation. While operations still carry on, a metamorphosis of hope is taking place as news of success and progress becomes more prevalent.

As the focus becomes more on construction and rebuilding, U.S. Army forces are called to serve a vital roll supplying logistics crucial to the mission. From the basic beans and bullets to building equipment, logistical supply and control units throughout Iraq are there to provide timely and secure assistance to coalition forces.

The Army Reserve’s 55th Sustainment Brigade, Fort Belvoir, Va., is one such unit answering the call. The unit, currently training at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., is scheduled to deploy to Iraq later this year, where they will be tasked with providing supervision and security for a large majority of logistics moving throughout Iraq.

“We don’t want to fight a war; we want to assist Iraq in becoming self-sustaining,” said 55th Commander Col. Therese O’Brien. “Our plan is to provide support to the Iraqi people to sustain them and help them get on with the rest of their lives.”

Using Maintenance Assistance and Instruction Teams, the 55th will provide oversight of critical commodities, O’Brien said. The logistics will include food, water, fuel and construction and engineering equipment. The unit will also provide security forces to civilians, military and local national logistic convoys.

“Our job is to make sure that these logistics are safely and securely delivered throughout the theater,” O’Brien said. “Timing is everything, and we make sure that things are set up for supplies at the right place and the right time.”

Perfecting the art of supplying comes from experience, O’Brien said. Although the 55th is relatively new, many of its members have prior experience in Iraq or Afghanistan. Warrant Officer Tricia Leupp, a logistics supply officer, will be deploying to Iraq for the second time.

“I think if you’ve been deployed before, you’re better acclimated to the environment and can put aside the uncertainty and jump right into the mission with clearer expectations,” she said. “This experience also builds confidence in those who haven’t deployed before.”

Pfc. Angel Johnson, a human relations specialist with the 55th, will be deploying for the first time. “I’ve never been overseas, so I’m really looking forward to it,” Johnson said. “This unit has many high-ranking leaders, which is good because they’re experienced.”

The 55th incorporates Army Reservists from around the country. Despite a collage of new faces, members of the unit are finding close camaraderie amongst each other.

“One thing that’s striking in this unit is the level of morale,” Leupp said. “There’s a huge motivation and desire to work together. I’m very impressed with Col. O’Brien’s leadership, and a successful mission starts with that.”

“The unique thing about the 55th is that a large degree of our Soldiers are new to the unit, but that’s no problem,” O’Brien said. “We learn together and make sure to communicate down to each person. I try to meet individual needs. I started in the Army as an enlisted Soldier, so I remember standing in formation with lots of questions. I try and concentrate on my roots and put myself in their boots.”

As the 55th makes its final preparations for the mission ahead, its members said that their mission will reflect the same professional and positive manner as their mobilization training.

“The question isn’t how well we can make Iraq, but how can we make it better,” O’Brien said. “The sky’s the limit for this unit.”