Spc Devin Snyder, KIA June 4 2011

The tiny upstate New York community of Cohocton is in mourning this day, as one of America’s Best, Spc. Devin Snyder, has fallen in the service of her country. Snyder was serving in Afghanistan as military police with the 164th MP Company of the 793rd Military Police Battalion out of Ft. Richardson, Alaska.

Devin Snyder was a 2008 graduate of Wayland-Cohocton Central School. A track and soccer star for the school, her lanky build earned her the nickname “Twiggy”. Her ties to Cohocton and to the military run equally deep. Her father, Edward, is a former mayor and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Her sister, Natasha, currently serves in the Navy and her brother, Damien, serves in the Army. She is also survived by an older brother, Derek and her mother, Dineen.

Snyder and three fellow soldiers were killed June 4 when their vehicle hit a mine near Mehtar Lam, in Laghman province, Afghanistan. Snyder had deployed in March, 2011, was was due home on leave in July.

Spc. Snyder’s family is in Dover, Delaware, to receive her body. Funereal arrangements are incomplete.

Cpl. Zachary D. Byron, a pashto linguist with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force, stands at attention as he is awarded the Bronze Star with a combat distinguishing device and the Purple Heart, May 20. Byron was shot twice and continued to translate enemy communication while falling in and out of consciousness allowing his squad to avert an enemy assault. Photo by Sgt. Marcy Sanchez

A Marine with I Marine Expeditionary Force, received a Bronze Star with combat distinguishing device during an awards ceremony here, May 20.

Cpl. Zachary D. Byron, a Pashto linguist currently assigned to 1st Radio Battalion, was presented the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for actions while serving with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment in November 2010.

Byron’s squad was caught in an enemy ambush in the vicinity Durzay, Afghanistan located in southern Helmand province.

“You can never simulate that kind of environment ever again,” said Byron, from Marion, N.Y. “It was a wakeup call for all of us. When the guy in front of me got hit I couldn’t see him, but I heard him yelling. I immediately got up and moved toward him.”

Byron, 23, was shot in the wrist and thigh as he tried to render aid on the injured Marine in front of him.

Cpl. Zachary D. Byron, a pashto linguist with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force, was awarded the Bronze Star with a combat distinguishing device and the Purple Heart, May 20. Photo by Sgt. Marcy Sanchez

“When I got shot in my leg everything kind of stopped,” Byron said. “I got a feeling of straight fear — fear that things were going to get a lot worse.”

As he fell in and out of consciousness from blood loss, he continued to translate enemy communications, allowing the squad to avert another assault.

“I had a sense of loyalty to my job and my troops to make sure I didn’t fail them,” Byron said.

Sgt. Maj. Albert Diaz, the sergeant major of 1st Radio Bn., complimented Byron’s humbling personality and wasn’t surprised to hear of his heroic actions.

“He is always going out of his way to help somebody,” Diaz said. “He is always sought out for advice.”

Sgt. Michael J. McCabe said the Bronze Star is well deserved and is witness to Byron’s outstanding performance.

“He’s very selfless when it comes to his job and accomplishing his tasks,” said McCabe, a team trainer with Headquarters and Support Company, 1st Radio Bn., who served as Byron’s team leader in Afghanistan. “I don’t think there’s enough you can say about his performance. He’s by far the best Marine I’ve ever worked with.”

“It’s a great honor, not just for me, but for 1st Radio Bn.,” Byron said. “There were a lot of Marines in the squad whose actions encouraged me to push on.”

The Bronze Star is awarded for the fourth highest award received for combat actions in the U.S. Armed Forces.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Marcy Sanchez

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.

Spc. Faith R. Hinkley, 23, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died Aug. 7 in Baghdad, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit in Iskandariya, Iraq. She was assigned to the 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Department of Defense
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An army intelligence specialist who grew up here died Saturday after insurgents attacked her unit in central Iraq.

Spc. Faith R. Hinkley, 23, died of her wounds after being transported to Baghdad, according to an Army news release.

Described by neighbors as compassionate, thoughtful and giving, Hinkley’s memory loomed large this week in the farming community of 4,300 people.

“I can’t say enough good,” said Myrna Wartman, a neighbor whose children grew up with Hinkley. “She’s everything you would want in a person.”

Pueblo Chieftain
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via M clouse

A human intelligence specialist, Hinkley was working in an office building when it was hit by a rocket propelled grenade fired by an insurgent. She and two other soldiers were hit by shrapnel as they rushed toward a bunker.

Local reports said the young woman was wounded in the stomach area and was taken to a hospital in Baghdad, where she was pronounced dead. Her companions are expected to recover.

Monte Vista Journal

She was born July 16, 1987 in Alamosa, Colo. to David and Annavee Hinkley.

Faith enjoyed a variety of activities. She was very active in Rainbow Girls, serving as Worthy Advisor of the Monte Vista Assembly, Grand Hope of Colorado Rainbow. Faith was active in her Sunday School class, attended Vacation Bible School and was an instructor and helper. She also belonged to Girl Scouts. Faith was involved in sports and was an honor student in middle school.

During high school, Faith was a cheerleader for four years and was on the golf team for one year. She belonged to several clubs and organizations including Young Life, FBLA, Student Council, FCCLA, Peer Mediation and Key Club.

Faith also was in the color guard for the Monte Vista State Champion Marching Band, and was the 2006 Band Sweetheart and 2005 Homecoming Senior Attendant.

Monte Vista Journal

The general said Faith was instrumental in developing a relationship with Iraqi intelligence and also was instrumental in finding a weapons cache that contained materials for building IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices.”

Pasquarelli then said that, in addition to her posthumous promotion, Faith had been awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

A letter from her supervising officer said Faith was seldom seen without a smile on her face, an infectious smile that made others feel good to be around her.

“She had the courage to face any challenge,” he said, noting that she had posted the highest score, 126 points, on the promotion board.

“Faith is a true American hero, a true soldier, a true warriors, never to be forgotten.” The letter also conveyed heartfelt condolences to the family from the entire U.S. military.

Monte Vista Journal

Young women who had been Faith’s friends from childhood wept openly, along with their older relatives. People carrying U.S. flags lined the roadways and stood alongside the fence at the San Luis Valley Regional Airport-Bergman Field in Alamosa.

Youthful soldiers, many with combat ribbons on their chests, stood at attention until it was time to do their assigned duty of the day, then marched to a special gurney next to the small charter jet.

As a sergeant barked orders, they stepped forward in unison and grabbed handles of the dark wooden coffin, then marched in step to a waiting hearse.

Members of the Patriot Guard stood at attention, saluting and preparing to mount their motorcycles and become part of the solemn procession from Alamosa to the Presbyterian Church in Monte Vista.

Monte Vista Journal

Staff Sgt. John Wayne Walding, Special Forces sniper instructor. Photo by David Chace

John Wayne has toured Afghanistan and Iraq, hunted grizzly bears in Alaska and earned the Silver Star; and as of July 16, John Wayne is the first one-legged soldier to graduate the Special Forces Sniper Course.

Staff Sgt. John Wayne Walding of Groesbeck, Texas, that is.

In April 2008, Walding and nine other Special Forces soldiers from a 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) assault team were attacked by the Hezeb Islami al Gulbadin while searching for insurgents in Afghanistan’s Shok Valley.

Walding, one of several team members who were injured, took a bullet through his right leg under his knee.

“I ripped off my boot lace and literally tied my leg to my thigh to keep it from flapping around,” Walding said.

Over the six-and-a-half hour firefight, more than 150 insurgents were killed. The members of the assault team were each awarded the Silver Star in December 2008 for their courageous actions in Shok Valley.

While recuperating, Walding worked as an assistant instructor at 3rd SFG(A)’s sniper detachment at Fort Bragg. In order to become a full-time instructor, he had to complete the Special Forces Sniper Course at SWCS.

During the course, many of Walding’s classmates didn’t know about his injury and prosthetic leg. Walding said he enjoyed his fellow soldiers’ reactions upon learning about his missing leg.

“At first, [my classmates] were shocked to realize I was missing a leg,” Walding said. “Then, they realized ‘Wow, he’s doing everything I’m doing!’”

After his injury, Walding knew he wasn’t going to give up and leave the Army. He also didn’t want to spend the rest of his career behind a desk.

“You don’t become a Green Beret because you ‘kind of like it,’ you become a Green Beret because you love it, and can’t imagine being anything else,” he said.

Walding said he refused to lower his personal standards following his injury, and pushed himself to excel as an instructor because he knew teams and soldiers were relying on him. Due to his past experiences, Walding said he has a lot to offer as a member of a Special Forces team, and wouldn’t bother trying to get back to a team if he hadn’t felt he could be an asset.

The seven-week Special Forces Sniper Course teaches sniper marksmanship, semiautomatic shooting, ballistics theory and tactical movement. Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Owens, an SFSC instructor in 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), emphasized the importance of these skills, and said it takes soldiers like Walding to push themselves to the limits.

“Snipers have become more dynamic over the past 10 years,” Owens said. “Considering current operations overseas, snipers have never been more prevalent, because of the need for distance shooting in rugged terrain.”

Walding said he loves everything about training to be a sniper, particularly the mission, the guns and the skill. He even enjoyed training during the hottest June ever recorded in North Carolina.

“The skill of a Special Forces sniper is unparalleled,” Walding said. “This is the most prestigious sniper school in the world. That means something.”

“There was never a doubt that Walding would do well in this course,” Owens said. “He is extremely motivated, and that never dropped during the course.”

“He never asked for special treatment; he did the same training as everyone else, and scored well in all the exercises.”

Walding’s no-quit attitude has taken him from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington back to Fort Bragg, N.C., where he’s become the first amputee to graduate from the Special Forces Sniper Course.

During his initial recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, Walding set up short-term goals for himself. He was a runner before the incident, averaging 50 miles per week. During recovery, he would get up and run a little more every day, always keeping his focus on that next step.

Walding is using the same process to work his way back to an operational role. As a soldier, his first step was to finish the sniper course; the next step is acting as an instructor for his fellow soldiers. He said he’s hoping to work his way back to a place on an operational Special Forces detachment.

“I’m John Wayne, born on the Fourth of July. This is what I was meant to do.” Walding said.

DVIDS
Story by Caroline Goins

1st Lt Bergan Flannigan of Tupper Lake wears the Purple Heart she was awarded after losing her leg while on patrol last month in Afghanistan. Shown with her at Craig Joint Theater Hospital in Afghanistan are her husband, 1st Lt. Thomas Flannigan, left, and Col. John F. Garrity. Army photo

Tupper Lake is a small upstate New York community in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. The drive to this community proceeds through paths where the sky is blocked out by the mountains on either side of the road. It is perhaps one of the most beautiful regions of the United States.

Industry is scarce in Tupper Lake and many jobs involve tourism and winter sports such as skiing. About 4,500 people live in the village. The local “central” school has 600 students in grades 7-12 and 600 in the elementary grades.

Twins Bergan and Bethany Arsenault graduated from the high school in 2004. Bergan chose to attend one of the top military academies in the country, Norwich University, where she met her future husband, Tom Flannigan.

Tom and Bergan Flannigan in Afghanistan

Her call sign is Spartan 6. His is Warlord 5.

Bergan and Thomas Flannigan met at Norwich University, a military school in Northfield, Vt. As a sophomore, he served as corporal in her freshman platoon. Their flirtation started the following summer, when he was at airborne school.

They married in 2007, just before her senior year, by which time Thomas was already commissioned as a second lieutenant.

Thomas, a 25-year-old from Topsham, Vt., is now the executive officer, the No. 2, in the 293rd MP Co. He’s slender and quiet, with a tuft of sandy-brown hair and close-shaved temples.

Bergan, 24, from Tupper Lake, N.Y., commands the company’s 38 person-strong Spartan Platoon, which patrols commercial neighborhoods in central Kandahar. In front of her soldiers, Thomas refers to his wife as the “P.L.”—platoon leader—or the “Six,” since unit commanders are always given that code number in radio communications.

On February 24, 2010, while on patrol, Lt. Bergan Flannigan was wounded by an IED blast. She lost part of her right leg and suffered other injuries. Flannigan is currently recovering at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. Her parents are there to be with her and her husband has had his orders changed so that he can be with her, as well.

The people of Tupper Lake are conducting fund raisers to provide for the family.

• Purple Heart presentation from YouTube
• Tupper Lake Facebook page
• Slideshow of pics from the presentation
• Boston Maggie’s coverage

Army Sgt. Sophia Malone spends time getting to know a group of Iraqi youths during her deployment in 2006 and 2007.

A chance meeting with Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Campbell in June led to a dream job for Iraqi war veteran and Purple Heart recipient Army Sgt. Sophia Malone.

The Alabama National Guard Soldier, assigned to the community-based warrior transition unit here [Redstone Arsenal, AL], is continuing her service to the nation as a human resources administrative assistant at the Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command. She takes care of administrative requirements for awards, appraisals, in-processing actions and other personnel actions.

“General Campbell wanted to bring wounded warriors on here,” Malone said. “I met him at the wounded warrior Army birthday bash they had here in June. … General Campbell is the best general I’ve ever met. He and his wife are awesome.”

Malone, a former military police Soldier, said her co-workers have eased her transition. “The people here work with me,” she said. “I know I’ve found a home here.”

In 1989, at age 19, Malone joined the active Army, serving a four-year stint that took her to Operation Desert Storm to support multiple-launch rocket system maintenance. With her enlistment, she continued her family’s tradition of serving in the military. Her grandfather served in World War II, and her father was a Korean War and Vietnam War veteran. Her brother is in the reserves, and other family members also serve.

Malone left the Army for nine years, during which she married and had three children – twin daughters Lacy and Lexy, now 15, and son E.Z., who’s 10. But 9/11 led her to recommit to national service.

“I had to do something. I had to get back in,” she said. “I joined the National Guard so that I could be a part-time Soldier and a mom at the same time. But I’ve been on active duty orders since 2005 as a battalion career counselor with the 203rd Battalion out of Athens. I’ve done more with the National Guard than I did while on active duty.”

Her full-time Guard service included hurricane relief efforts following hurricanes Ivan, Rita and Katrina, during which she participated in military police security activities. In October 2006, she deployed with the 128th Military Police Company for a year to Iraq, during a time that was extremely volatile in the war-torn country.

“Our squad would get hit all the time. The 3rd Platoon became known as the IED magnets,” she said, referring to improvised explosive devices. “We were rolling so much outside the wire that we took a lot of hits and we lived through a lot of ambushes. We were ambushed twice while crossing the Tigris [River]. Once, we rolled up on an IED attack on a unit where a guy with the Air Force was killed by shrapnel. We saw other convoys attacked and a lot of other stuff.”

In one situation, when a mosque was blown up with a vehicle-borne bomb, Malone and several other Soldiers from the 128th put their training as combat lifesavers to work. They assisted Army medical personnel in providing first aid to Iraqi civilians injured in the attack.

Malone served as a truck commander and team leader in a military police training force. She and her fellow Soldiers helped to reduce the violence by training the Iraqi police force.

“I was part of a police transition team that trained Iraqi police,” she said. “We left our base every day to travel to Iraqi police stations in the different cities.”

Each day, upon arrival, her team, consisting of nine to 12 Soldiers, would set up a security perimeter around the police station. Then they would assess the station’s training and equipment needs, meet with police chiefs and establish working relationships with the police station personnel.

“We started from scratch at every station,” she said. “At some of these stations, they had never seen an American Soldier before. Ours was such a new mission, the rules of engagement were changing all the time, and we were all learning about the Iraqi society and culture. So it was a real challenge.”

Malone and her team worked at police stations in Muqdadiyah and Tikrit. At times, Malone’s unit went on patrols with Iraqi police officers and interacted with Iraqi civilians in the marketplaces. They also went on special missions with the 82nd Airborne Division, including a surprise visit at an Iraqi jail to search for contraband.

Malone said her gender met with varying results.

“Some Iraqi police chiefs wouldn’t even talk to me or work with me at all,” she said. “Others were very friendly. It depended on how Westernized they were. To many Iraqi police and civilians, I was a novelty. They were curious about me. They wanted to take pictures of me on their cell phones.

“But with the soldiers of the 128th,” she continued, “I was very well respected. They knew me and how I reacted to certain situations, and they knew I wasn’t afraid to do what I had to do. They knew I wouldn’t expect them to do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Army Sgt. Sophia Malone is working toward getting back to health from wounds she suffered during her deployment to Iraq with the Alabama Army National Guard's 128th Military Police Company. (U.S. Army photo by Kari Hawkins)

There were plenty of intense situations that called on Malone to be at her best as her unit’s lead soldier. Twice, Malone’s convoy took direct hits as the lead vehicle traveling through Tikrit. The impact of the attacks left her with shoulder, neck and back injuries that cause her daily pain, and that she hopes to overcome through surgery and physical therapy.

The first direct hit with an IED happened in November 2006, when two anti-tank mines wired together exploded and damaged the front right corner of Malone’s Humvee.

“The IED was set off by a command wire,” she said. “The enemy panicked and set off the command wire too early. If he had waited, the IED would have been directly under my seat, and I wouldn’t be here right now.”

The explosion left Malone’s Humvee severely damaged in the “kill zone.” Malone, her driver, gunner, interpreter and Iraqi police logistics officer were evacuated by a quick readiness force. The attack left Malone with occasional tingling in her right arm.

In August 2007, a second direct attack occurred as Malone’s Humvee, which was the lead vehicle carrying the platoon sergeant, was traveling on a main supply route. As they crossed a bridge, the Humvee traveled over a pressure plate, with the IED exploding directly on the passenger side of the vehicle.

“My arm was resting on the window,” Malone said. “Some kind of slivers went into my arm, and it was injured. We were only 12 minutes outside the gate. The third truck in our convoy pulled us home. My gunner also had shrapnel injuries. We both went to the [combat support hospital]. But I was more upset that they blew up my truck than I was about what happened to me. I had just gotten it out of the shop.”

After two days of recuperation, Malone was back out on missions. She safely returned to her family in October 2007. But instead of taking time to focus on recuperating from her experience and addressing physical ailments caused by the impact of the two IED explosions, Malone accepted an instructor position at Camp Shelby, Miss. Her days were filled with training other National Guard soldiers for deployments through various simulation exercises.

“I was still in Humvees rolling around,” she said.

After the instructor assignment, Malone was required to go through a medical screening before she could return to her National Guard position with the 128th. Her shoulder and neck injuries were identified, and she was sent to Fort Gordon, Ga., in January 2009 for further medical evaluation.

“I was having numbness and tingling in my fingers and arm. I had neck and shoulder pain,” she said. “But when you are out the wire and have all that adrenaline flowing, you don’t think about that. And there was no way I was going to let my guys roll without me. In that situation, if you take one piece out of the unit, everyone else has to work twice as hard. There was no way I was going to do that to my guys.

“Then, when I was at Camp Shelby,” she continued, “the workload was twice that of the students. As instructors, you spend a lot of time preparing and then a lot of time training. I didn’t have time to think about what had happened to me and what was going on with my neck and shoulder.”

But her time at Fort Gordon made Malone aware that she did need to address her physical issues. In April, she was assigned to the community-based warrior transition unit here, which has worked with her to develop a plan of surgical treatment, physical therapy and pain management that will get her back to 100 percent health.

The unit allows soldiers to live at home and work at local armories and installations while undergoing medical treatment.

“This is the best thing that ever happened to me,” Malone said. “I am able to be with my children while at the same time I am getting healthy and I am able to work. It was like a sigh of relief for me when I got this assignment, because I can see a future here for myself as a civilian while still serving in the National Guard. I want to get healthy. I want to return to duty with the 128th.”

Malone said she expects the 128th will be deployed again, possibly to Afghanistan. And she plans to be with them.

“That unit is filled with my brothers and sisters. We went through hell together. We have a very close camaraderie,” she said. “I think we still have another deployment in us. I know I have another one in me. Serving my country, being with my guys — it’s kind of hard to explain.”

Even with a Purple Heart to her credit, Malone brushes off any suggestions that she is a national hero.

“I wasn’t the only one in a truck that got blown up,” she said. “And there were the guys who risked their lives to pull us out of those situations. We all signed up. We knew what we were doing, what we were getting into. You do your job and keep going.”

DVIDS
By Kari Hawkins
Special to American Forces Press Service

Spc. Matthew Mortensen (center) of Olathe, Kan., a combat medic with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, shows high spirits, with Pfc. Juan Ortega (left) of Belen, N.M., and Pfc. Jorge Cruz of Waterbury, Conn., after he was shot in the shoulder by sniper fire while on a presence patrol in Baghdad, Dec. 10. Mortensen was sent back to the United States for rehabilitation and recuperation and anticipates returning to his platoon in Iraq in February. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ryan Nolan, 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div.)

“I was probably two feet from my door of my truck when I heard gun fire and it felt like someone just cracked me in the right shoulder blade with a hammer,” said Spc. Matthew Mortensen of Olathe, Kan.

The combat medic with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, was part of a presence patrol conducting a neighborhood search, Dec. 10, in an area historically known for weapons caches, rockets and mortars.

As the patrol walked the streets, a mounted element went from check point to check point providing security for them. Having reached the last check point, Staff Sgt. Manoj Prasad of Watertown, N.Y., and Mortensen dismounted to maneuver the trucks into a static security posture, when shots were fired.

“I saw a bullet hole in his shirt, and when I cut it open all I could see was blood,” said Prasad. “I looked for an exit wound and couldn’t find one.”

Being the medic on scene, Mortensen provided first aid care to himself after he was injured until he reached the Joint Security Station Loyalty aid station. Combat medics are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield with the primary role to provide medical treatment to wounded soldiers.

“After I was shot, I had my platoon sergeant examine for a wound and he found one on my right shoulder blade,” said Mortensen. “Then I jumped into the truck, threw off my kit because I couldn’t reach my right side with my kit on. After I took it off, I started cleaning up some of the blood with gauze then I used the package for the gauze and created a pressure dressing over the wound just in case it penetrated my chest cavity. I didn’t know what happened to the bullet so that was the only thing I was really worried about”

After the initial treatment, Mortensen was medically evacuated to another JSS. Mortensen kept his composure throughout the event and was able to provide Prasad with the proper medevac procedures for entering the JSS.

The day following the incident, Mortensen was awarded a Purple Heart and a Combat Medical badge while he was in the hospital at Victory Base Complex.

The Purple Heart is awarded to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The Combat Medical Badge is a decoration of the United States Army which was first created in January 1945. The badge is awarded to any member of the Army Medical Department, pay grade colonel or below, who are assigned or attached to a medical unit (company or smaller size) which provides medical support to a ground combat arms unit during any period in which the unit was engaged in active ground combat.

Mortensen was sent back to the United States for rehabilitation and recuperation. After spending a month back in the States, he anticipates he will return to his platoon in Iraq sometime in February.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Jennie Burrett

Jared Monti - Medal of Honor awardee

The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died in Gowardesh, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006, when they encountered enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades during combat operations. Both soldiers were assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 71st Calvary, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Killed were:

Sgt. 1st Class Jared C. Monti, 30, of Raynham, Mass.

Staff Sgt. Patrick L. Lybert, 28, of Ladysmith, Wis.

DoD

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Jared C. Monti, a Military Occupational Specialty 13F Fire Support Specialist, was a Targeting NCO assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York. He distinguished himself by acts of conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty against an armed enemy in Gowardesh, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan.

On 21 June 2006, SFC Monti, then a staff sergeant, was the assistant patrol leader for a 16-man patrol tasked to conduct surveillance in the Gowardesh region. The patrol was to provide up-to-date intelligence, interdict enemy movement and ensure early warning for the squadron’s main effort as it inserted into the province. As nightfall approached, the patrol was attacked by a well organized enemy force of at least 60 personnel. Outnumbered four-to-one, SFC Monti’s patrol was in serious danger of being overrun.

The enemy fighters had established two support-by-fire positions directly above the patrol in a densely wooded ridgeline. SFC Monti immediately returned fire and ordered the patrol to seek cover and return fire. He then reached for his radio headset and calmly initiated calls for indirect fire and close air support (CAS), both danger-close to the patrol’s position. He did this while simultaneously directing the patrol’s fires.

When SFC Monti realized that a member of the patrol, Private First Class (PFC) Brian J. Bradbury, was critically wounded and exposed 10 meters from cover, without regard for his personal safety, he advanced through enemy fire to within three feet of PFC Bradbury’s position. But he was forced back by intense RPG fire. He tried again to secure PFC Bradbury, but he was forced to stay in place again as the enemy intensified its fires.

The remaining patrol members coordinated covering fires for SFC Monti, and he advanced a third time toward the wounded Soldier. But he only took a few steps this time before he was mortally wounded by an RPG. About the same time, the indirect fires and CAS he called for began raining down on the enemy’s position. The firepower broke the enemy attack, killing 22 enemy fighters. SFC Monti’s actions prevented the patrol’s position from being overrun, saved his team’s lives and inspired his men to fight on against overwhelming odds. SFC Monti epitomizes what it means to be an NCO. Because of his personal sacrifice and selfless service to the Army, the men of his patrol are alive today and continue the fight.

SFC Monti’s name will adorn our new Fort Sill Call for Fire Training Center. The “Monti Call for Fire Training Facility” will be used to train future joint fires observers. Sudents will be trained on jointly approved tactics, techniques and procedures in support of Artillery, Naval Surface Fire Support and Aviation. Upon graduation, the students will take with them the knowledge, skills and inspiration the Monti Call for Fire Training Facility provided to fight effectively and win on today’s modern battlefield.

Fires – Ft. Sill publication

Marker honoring Jared Monti at COP Monti

This guy is my son, SFC Jared C. Monti. He died 6-21-06 trying to save the lives of 3 of his fellow soldiers.Brian Bradbury would have survived if the cable lifting him up to the helicopter didn’t snap..he fell to his death. The helicopter pilot lost control due to that mishap & he crashed & died. Jared was shot twice while trying to save his comrads. Patrick was dead before he hit the ground, Jared was killed while trying to retrieve his body. The medic trying to save his life was also killed. He managed to save one soldier his name is Derek. My son did what his does best looking out for his “boys” as he called them. He gave his life to save another and it’s not the first time he risked his life saviing his platoon. He received 2 Bronze Stars for both instances, the first one on his first tour in Afghanistan. I miss him more than words can express, will grieve his loss till the day I die but I have never been so proud.

That’s who this guy was!

Janet Monti
Gold Star Mother

Honnold Forum

Someone You Should Know – Pundit Review

Medal of Honor Awards for July 23 – Castle Argghhh

Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye stands before fellow soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, during a ceremony in Vicenza, Italy, June 30, 2009. Begaye was awarded the Silver Star for his valorous actions during an enemy ambush Nov. 9, 2007, in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. U.S. Army photo by Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo

Even as Army Staff Sgt. Conrad Begaye relived the firefight that took the lives of his fellow soldiers, and even as he was awarded the military’s third-highest honor for valor yesterday, his thoughts were on his comrades.

Begaye, a Navajo from Black Canyon City, Ariz., said he wants the story of his actions in Afghanistan to help younger soldiers understand the importance of training, leadership and motivation. For troops eager to see combat, he said, he hopes his story instills a sense of the reality of war.

“It should open their eyes. A firefight is a life-altering experience – one that I’m still living through,” Begaye said following a June 30 ceremony here in which he received the Silver Star. “Soldiers should understand … this is real life, and people do die.”

On Nov. 9, 2007, Begaye, an Airborne Ranger with the 503rd Infantry Regiment’s 2nd Battalion, was part of a unit that had just met with local leaders in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province. They were hiking along rugged terrain when his squad, his platoon’s headquarters sections and a squad of Afghan soldiers began taking fire from enemy positions above.

Pinned down at first, Begaye was struck in the arm while returning fire and directing his men. Begaye bounded over a cliff, calling to his troops to follow him down the rocky slope to find cover.

Keeping his composure against overwhelming odds, Begaye directed and encouraged his fellow soldiers under heavy fire. One paratrooper had been shot in both legs and was still taking fire. Begaye called out to him to play dead, knowing the enemy would shift their fire away if they thought the soldier was killed — quick thinking that likely helped to save that soldier’s life.

Ignoring his own injuries, Begaye moved a wounded soldier to a nearby cave to protect him from enemy fire. Using a radio, he called his higher headquarters and directed mortar fire onto enemy positions – essentially ending the battle. Then he motivated a soldier to organize a defensive perimeter of Afghan soldiers to prevent their unit from being harassed or overrun.

Twenty-one months later, with his comrades standing quietly on the parade ground behind him, Begaye listened as Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, spoke here, where Begaye began his service 10 years ago.

“Today, we honor a noncommissioned officer whose bold actions turned the tide of battle and saved the day, … [and] whose courage under fire and fierce loyalty to his men still astounds us all,” Garrett said. “Outnumbered, wounded, and initially pinned down in the kill zone of an enemy ambush — he didn’t hesitate to leap forward, literally, and take charge of the fight.”

Garrett spoke of the “warrior ethos” that guides soldiers: place the mission first, never accept defeat, never quit, and never leave a fallen comrade.

“These are just words to some people,” Garrett said. “But the warrior ethos is a way of life to Staff Sergeant Begaye. Amazing acts of bravery and valor were commonplace that grim day. But this morning, we recognize Staff Sergeant Begaye for his courage – and we are thankful for the opportunity to serve with such a man.”

After the ceremony, Begaye’s wife, Air Force Staff Sgt. Idellia Beletso, a flight medic based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, hugged her husband. Hundreds of red-bereted paratroopers lined up to shake Begaye’s hand, many of whom served with him in combat.

“There are people who have passed on that deserve this,” said Begaye, who served three combat tours. “There were five men who died. I’ll accept and wear it in honor of them, not for my actions, but for theirs.”

Begaye said he would have preferred a simple handshake or a pat on the back. After all, he said, infantrymen don’t fight for medals, they fight for each other. That’s why Begaye felt grateful to have soldiers from his unit, Chosen Company, behind him on the parade field during the ceremony.

“What happened there is something I think about every day,” Begaye said. “It’s not easy to forget about.”

DoD
By Army Capt. Joseph Sanfilippo
Special to American Forces Press Service

The last time Sgt. Christopher A. Burrell was in Iraq he was pulled from a burning vehicle in Sadr City, a neighborhood in Baghdad. A tourniquet applied by another Soldier saved his life, but a nurse here at the Air Force Theater Hospital had to break the tragic news—his left leg was gone, taken by an explosively formed projectile.

Now, almost a year and a half later, and after months of rehabilitation and physical therapy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Burrell returned to Iraq with five other amputee combat veterans as part of Operation Proper Exit.

“I don’t remember much, but I remember my nurse,” Burrell said, remembering the incident, which occurred December 2007. “Shelly. She was an angel, there to comfort me when I was in a difficult spot.”

Operation Proper Exit, a pilot program sponsored by the Army and the Troops First Foundation target=”_blank” through the United Service Organizations, allows Soldiers wounded in combat to return to Iraq. The goal of the program is to give these Soldiers an opportunity for closure, and to see the progress made in securing and stabilizing the country, Burrell said.

“It kind of helps you heal mentally and emotionally, to close that chapter in your life so you can move on,” he said. “The progress that’s been made—it shows that we made a sacrifice but it was for a reason.”

The six amputee combat veterans, who were accompanied by civilians with the Troops First Foundation, toured the Air Force Theater Hospital here, speaking with medical personnel. Most of the Soldiers received some kind of treatment at the hospital before they moved to Germany for further medical care.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Jamal Hogan, a nurse, said he remembered providing medical care for two of the Soldiers himself during a previous deployment in 2007.

“It’s awesome,” he said with a smile, hugging one of his former patients. “To know that people made it—he’s alive, walking around. That means a lot to me.”

Following the hospital tour, the veterans participated in a town hall-style meeting, which began with a standing ovation by approximately 200 Soldiers at a Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facility at JBB.

After telling the audience their own personal war stories, the veterans fielded questions ranging from how they dealt with physical recovery to post traumatic stress disorder to their long-term goals.

Sgt. Robert Brown, who lost his right leg to sniper fire in September 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq, said he was training to qualify for the U.S. rowing team at the 2012 London Paralympics games.

Nearing the end of the meeting, a young Soldier stood up and asked them, with everything they’ve experienced, if they would be willing to return for another tour in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Every one of the Soldiers nodded.

“Sure, we’d go back,” one of them said. “We’re here with you right now, aren’t we?”

MNF-I

Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson, a machine gunner with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, stands in from of the battalion at perfect parade rest, despite the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Gustafson received the Navy Cross and a meritorious promotion to corporal during a ceremony March 27 at Lance Cpl. Torrey Grey Field. Photo by Pfc. Michael T. Gams

Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson’s parents describe him as “reserved, loyal, stubborn and determined.”
This was proven in action July 21, 2008.

His loyalty to his fellow Marines, his stubborn nature when he refused medical treatment and his determination under enemy fire as a machine gunner with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment earned him the Navy Cross, and a place among the ranks of such Marine Corps legends as Lewis ‘Chesty’ Puller, Daniel ‘Dan’ Daly and John Basilone.

He received this medal, the highest awarded by the Navy, for his deployment to Afghanistan is support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Navy Cross was pinned on his chest by Lt. Col. John M. Reed, the commanding officer of 2/7, and meritorious corporal chevrons to his collar by Maj. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser and Sgt. Maj. Randall Carter, the commanding general and sergeant major of 1st Marine Division, at a ceremony held March 27 at Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Grey Field. The ceremony included speeches from his former and current commanding officers.

Gustafson accepted his medal at a perfect position of attention, despite missing his right leg below the knee. His entire battalion was in attendance as well as Marines from across the nation, former service members, family and friends.

According to eyewitness accounts, Gustafson’s actions that fateful day in July 2008 met and exceeded the requirements for a Navy Cross.

On July 21 Gustafson was manning the turret of the lead vehicle, a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, or MRAP, during a four-vehicle mounted patrol riding through the streets of Shewan, Afghanistan.

That’s when things got ugly.

The patrol came under heavy fire from machine guns as well as rocket-propelled grenades from hidden insurgent positions.

One of the RPGs hit Gustafson’s MRAP, piercing its armor, rendering the driver unconscious and partially amputating Gustafson’s right leg.

Despite his injuries, Gustafson remained vigilant on his M240B machine gun, locating and accurately firing on several insurgent positions, some as close as 20 meters from the vehicle.

He remained in the turret, reloading twice and firing over 600 rounds, while Lance Cpl. Cody Comstock, an Anderson, Ind. native, applied a tourniquet to his leg.

After regaining consciousness, the driver, Cpl. Geoffrey Kamp, an Indianapolis native, put the vehicle in reverse and pushed the disabled vehicle behind them out of the kill zone.

Not until both vehicles were safe from the heavy insurgent fire and all the Marines had evacuated the burning vehicle did he allow himself to be removed from the turret for medical treatment.

“I knew I was hit,” he said. “I guess the adrenaline kept me going.”

Gustafson humbly stressed that he was only doing his job, nothing more.

“Anyone I served with would have done the same,” said the Eagan, IL native. “Heck, if it wasn’t for everyone else out there, I wouldn’t have made it.”

After being treated by corpsmen at the scene, he was transported to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Upon regaining consciousness after surgery, Gustafson called his parents to tell them what happened, said the 21 year-old.

“We were worried about him,” said his mother, Kim Gustafson. “But we knew everything would work out, God does have a plan after all.”

During 2/7’s deployment to Afghanistan, “the extraordinary became ordinary,” said Lt. Col Richard Hall, 2/7’s commanding officer during the deployment. “I underestimated my Marines and I’m in awe of what they accomplished.”

Known as the hardest hit battalion in the Marine Corps during 2008, 2/7 lost over 20 Marines and sailors and sent over 80 home with serious injuries during their eight month deployment to Afghanistan.

Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson received the Navy Cross and a meritorious promotion to corporal during a ceremony March 27 at Lance Cpl. Torrey Grey Field.

Gustafson is now looking to the future and says he is looking forward to a bright future outside of the Marine Corps.

“I took a lot of photos in Afghanistan,” said Gustafson. “I’m going to go to college in the fall and try and make a career out of it.”

Cpl. Brady Gustafson never faltered during the ambush and his heroism helped save the lives of all the Marines involved.

The valor and courage displayed on the streets of Shewan that July day embodied the core values of the Marine Corps and sets an example for all to emulate and be proud of.

“I’m proud of all the Marines,” said Kim. “There are so many heroes, I’m so lucky to count my son among one of them.”

United States Marines
By Pfc. Michael T. Gams,
Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command 29 Palms

Silver Star, Purple Heart posthumously

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DVIDS
Story by Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown

More on Cpl. Jonathan Ayers and the battle at Wanat

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

Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge

Staff Sgt. Matthew Harvey, construction supervisor with Company E, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and attached to Special Troops Battalion, stands in front of his vehicle March 20 at Camp Echo. The vehicle was the same one he was next to when he was shot Feb. 10 during a route clearance mission in Najaf. Photo by Sgt. Rodney Foliente

A 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Soldier, whose life was saved by his Advanced Combat Helmet, received a Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge here March 20.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Harvey, construction supervisor with Company E, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, and attached to Special Troops Battalion, received the awards after being shot and continuing to return fire during an enemy attack in Najaf, Feb. 10.

The attack came during a route clearance mission when Harvey, who was truck commander of the lead vehicle, dismounted to clear debris that became tangled underneath his vehicle.

“As I was leaning forward, I saw three rounds hit by my feet,” the Houston native said. He added that he quickly turned and identified the enemy shooter partially concealed behind a berm. “I returned fire and yelled back up to my driver and gunner.”

He continued to return fire until he saw the enemy go down. He then stood up and scanned the area.

“I saw something to my five-o’clock and called up to the gunner. As soon as I turned, I got hit. The round went through my Kevlar,” he said, pointing to a point above and behind his right ear.

The Kevlar altered the course of the bullet, channeling the bullet around his head and down the back of his neck.

Harvey said the force of the impact slammed his head into the vehicle, cutting a gash on his cheek. He went down and noticed blood flowing from his left cheek. In his shock, he said he thought the bullet had passed through his face.

“I yelled up that I was hit,” he said.

As Harvey lay on the ground, he said he continued shooting at the enemy, becoming increasingly disoriented.

“I was trying to shoot the guy. [All of a sudden] I thought I was at a pop-up range, because I couldn’t hit the target,” he said.

“I could see my rounds impacting. Pow! Pow! Pow! I remember thinking: Man, this pop-up target won’t go down. I’m going to get a bad score,” he shook his head with a laugh.

“I thought: this is probably it. I kept shooting and shooting and yelled up to my dudes and told them, ‘Sorry’ and told my wife, ‘I’m sorry,’” he reflected with a smile.

His Soldiers continued engaging the enemy and another vehicle in the convoy pulled around to cover him and load him into their truck.

“They pulled off all my gear and the medic came up and checked me out,” he said.

Other than minor shrapnel wounds, cuts and a possible concussion, the medic told him he was fine. The other Soldiers downplayed the incident and told Harvey that he was probably just hit with shrapnel from bullets striking the vehicle and ground.

“I told them, ‘No, I’m pretty sure I got hit,’” Harvey said. “That’s when their squad leader picked up my Kevlar and said, ‘Hey man, you’ve got a bullet hole through your Kevlar!’”

The bullet hole in the Army Combat Helmet of Staff Sgt. Matthew Harvey, construction supervisor, with Company E, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and attached to Special Troops Battalion, shows how his helmet saved his life on Feb. 10 when he was shot during a route clearance mission in Najaf.

“I still had my adrenaline going, so I wasn’t really in that much pain,” he continued. “I still wanted to [command] my truck.”

However, his platoon leader made him try to relax and rest. They limped the vehicle back to Forward Operating Base Endeavor on a flat tire.

“I smoked a cigarette and drank a Rippit. By that time, my adrenaline stopped and I started puking and got dizzy,” said Harvey. “I was kind of going in and out of it. The [medical evacuation helicopters] came in and medics checked me out and gave me [intravenous fluids].”

“I came to as I was going into the hospital at Balad. They checked me out and told me I was lucky,” said Harvey. They gave him additional tests and treated him for minor shrapnel wounds, cuts and a bad concussion.

After a few days of tests and evaluations, he was sent back to Camp Echo and saw his Soldiers for a day before going on his pre-planned environmental morale leave.

“I was already scheduled for leave, so I went home and hung out there,” said Harvey. He said his wife Crystal, whom he has been married to for more than a year, was shocked when she found out, but also strong and supportive.

“She’s pretty strong. She got through it and understands … but she told me to stop getting hurt,” he laughed. “I get hurt too much,” he added with a shrug.

About a month after the attack, he said his headaches began to subside and have now almost completely stopped. But the headaches are a small price to pay for his life, thanks to his helmet.

Harvey has been in the Army for more than seven years and has deployed to Iraq four times. He said he has been shot at or hit by roadside bombs during each deployment and has been saved a number of times because of the equipment and armor provided to him by the Army.

This is Harvey’s second Purple Heart. He received his first during a deployment to Iraq in 2003 after a roadside bomb explosion injured him in the head and neck. In that incident, his older-style helmet stopped or hampered the destructive passage of shrapnel. He said he feels his helmet helped save his life then as well.

He said the incidents increased his confidence in the equipment he uses. The members of his command and his fellow Soldiers are also more confident after seeing the deadly effects of a bullet thwarted by the helmet that many of them once complained about having to wear.

“You guys looked at that Kevlar and saw the direction that [round] was going and where it went out. It did exactly what it was designed to do,” said Lt. Col. Leo Caballero, commander, STB, to the company formation during the award ceremony.

Harvey received his awards from Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, deputy commanding general for operations, Multi-National Division – Center.

“[The Purple Heart] is a significant award,” said Buchanan, during the award ceremony. “It’s in recognition of the American people and the sacrifice that you personally made. It’s in recognition of your selfless service.”

For Harvey, his Purple Hearts are reminders of the sacrifices he has made and is willing to make for his country and his people. They are also reminders of how close he came to dying and how precious life is.

“I feel lucky. This wasn’t the first time I’ve been hit, but it kind of opens my eyes a little more,” he said”

He said he appreciates life and what he has more than ever.

“I wasn’t married for my other deployments. We’ve been married a little while and are trying to have kids,” said Harvey. “It kind of made me think more, but I still plan on staying in. This is what I do. They’ll probably have to kick me out after 30 years.”

However, he said he hopes, as does his family, that he receives no more Purple Hearts.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Rodney Foliente