Brig. Gen. Daniel D. Yoo, commanding general, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region, pins a Silver Star on Sgt. Phillip A. McCulloch Jr., drill instructor, Company M, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, during the morning colors ceremony aboard MCRD Feb 10.

While performing a route reconnaissance in the Sangin District, Afghanistan, Sgt. Phillip A. McCulloch Jr. and his squad heard an explosion off to the northeast as they were crossing the Helmand River.

Moments later, his team was ambushed by three machine gun positions and they took cover in the riverbank. The coming engagement resulted in McCulloch squad leader for 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) Afghanistan, having to make many critical decisions to ensure the safe return of his 21-man team Jan. 8, 2011.

“I’ve always had aggressive leaders in charge of me who accepted nothing less than perfection,” said McCulloch, 23. “I never second-guessed myself.”

McCulloch personally led his squad on the counter-attack, even taking time to destroy an enemy fighting position with an AT-4 anti-armor weapon. His squad then forced them to fall back by maintaining constant pressure and by making use of their air support and indirect fire capabilities.

“I was just doing my job. I wanted to make sure my Marines were safe,” said McCulloch, who was born in Arizona but raised in Texas. “It was just another day on the job.”

Only after six hours of fighting and with his squad low on ammunition did he return to friendly lines.

During the engagement he was wounded in the leg while trying to draw fire to reunite his squad. For these actions, McCulloch was presented a Silver Star by Brig. Gen. Daniel D. Yoo, commanding general, MCRD San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region, during a morning colors ceremony aboard Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Feb. 10.

“He absolutely deserves that medal. He’ll probably see more medals like that in the future. His courage under fire is unwavering,” said First Sgt. Christopher M. Carlisle, company first sergeant, Company M, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion. “He’s the future of the Corps.”

The Silver Star is the third highest military decoration and can be awarded to service members who show extraordinary heroism in action against an enemy of the United States.

“He was one of my (private first classes) as a staff sergeant. He stood amongst his peers since day one, always striving for more information, always wanting to learn as much as he possibly could,” said Carlisle. “I saw he had natural leadership skills.”

Now, McCulloch is using his combat experience to train the next generation of Marines as a drill instructor for Company M, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion.

“I came down here to give back to the Marine Corps, as a drill instructor,” said McCulloch. “I think my combat leadership as a whole, not just that one day, has definitely impacted my leadership and the way I look at things and down here at MCRD as well.”

McCulloch has been a drill instructor at the depot since December 2011 and is in his first recruit training cycle.

“With this combat experience, maturity and understanding of the way the Marine Corps works, he is definitely a person I want in front of recruits,” said Carlisle.

Throughout his time in the Marine Corps McCulloch has proven he has what it takes to get the job done.

“His nickname was ‘Prodigy,’ he stood above his peers,” said Carlisle. “He really was made to be an infantry squad leader.”

Although McCulloch is the Marine being awarded, it’s his squad he would like to recognize for their actions.

“I don’t think I earned it. My Marines earned it,” said McCulloch. “I wish they could all have one. I recognize them. They definitely earned it in my eyes.”

By Lance Cpl. Eric Quintanilla
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
U.S. Marine Corps

Lance Cpl. Cody Goebel, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, marches in front of the colors during his Silver Star award ceremony, Dec. 14, 2011. Goebel was awarded the Silver Star for actions while he was in Afghanistan with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Goebel was shot in the neck while on post in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Ignoring his wound, he returned fire and refused medical attention until he was properly relieved. Goebel will return to Afghanistan next year with 2nd Battalion.

One moment he’s on guard duty, the next he’s on the ground bleeding. The Marine takes a moment to collect his thoughts, picks himself up despite the pain and knows he has a job to do.

Lance Cpl. Cody Goebel had taken a bullet to the neck while guarding a position vital to his squad’s defense while serving with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

With an arterial wound to his neck, Goebel stood tall and refused medical aid until he was properly relieved and another Marine could man his position.

“I remembered to stay calm. I had been hit and now I needed to return fire,” said Goebel. “I wasn’t thinking about myself, I knew I had to defend my post and knew the other Marines were counting on me.”

Finally after seven minutes of fighting, a fellow squad member was able to relieve Goebel. Goebel went to find Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Federov, a Navy Corpsman assigned to the battalion.

“I immediately applied pressure to his wound,” said Federov, a close friend of Goebel’s. “It was all I really could do.”

“He was very coherent considering he had been bleeding for 10 minutes,” recalls Federov. “From a medical stand point he should have lost consciousness, but he was calm, joking and even singing.”

Goebel was successful because he stayed calm and remembered his training. His dedication was vital during his effort to repel the enemy attack.

Federov describes his friend as “the type of person who will make you smile in the worse of situations.”

“When you felt life couldn’t get any worse, he was always saying something goofy to lighten the mood,” said Federov.

His peers describe him as a humble, calm, brave and “great guy”. Now Goebel stands anxiously behind 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment’s formation to receive the Silver Star award for his actions in Afghanistan.

“I’m just nervous I won’t remember all the commands for the ceremony,” admits Goebel. His voice sounds calm, but he jokes that he’s more nervous about receiving the award then when he got shot.

Goebel is standing on 5th Marine’s parade deck, looking for his friend Federov 45 minutes later. In a couple months he’ll be back in Afghanistan, this time with 2nd Battalion, but right now relaxing is the only thing on his mind.

Goebel opens his award for a picture with a fellow Marine while standing on the parade deck. “Thank God he didn’t ask me to put it in my right hand,” jokes Goebel with a grin. “I’m just tired of shaking hands, it hurts after awhile.”

Goebel locates Federov across the parade deck and heads toward him, he’s clearly happy to be out of the limelight. His humility and calmness gets him through another day.

By Lance Cpl. Timothy J. Lenzo
1st Marine Division
U.S. Marine Corps

Navy Petty Officer First Class Amilcar Rodriguez, a corpsman previously assigned to 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, shakes hands with MARSOC commander Maj. Gen. Paul E. Lefebvre during an awards ceremony at MARSOC Headquarters June 24, 2011, in which he was awarded the Silver Star for his extraordinary heroism while conducting combat operations in Bala Morghab, Afghanistan Nov. 6, 2009.

A Navy corpsman previously assigned to 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, was awarded the Silver Star – the nation’s third-highest military decoration for valor in combat – for his extraordinary heroism while conducting combat operations in Bala Morghab, Afghanistan on Nov. 6, 2009.

During a deliberate attack on a series of enemy positions, Hospital Corpsman First Class Amilcar Rodriguez and his Afghan partner force took a rooftop position to provide over watch for their Marine Special Operations Team. Almost immediately after taking the position, two Afghan Commandos and a Marine in Rodriguez’s team fell wounded by sniper fire. Though warned by his teammates about the sniper, Rodriguez exposed himself from cover and took up an M249 squad automatic weapon, which he unloaded into the enemy position, killing two insurgents. He then rushed to his wounded teammate’s position and proceeded to drag him to safety, until three shots from a sniper sent him falling beside the injured Marine.

As his teammates came to their aid and began dragging them to safety, Rodriguez calmly instructed them on the triage and assessment of the other casualty. Once taken to the casualty collection point, Rodriguez continued to assist another medic in the treatment of the wounded.

Maj. Gen. Paul E. Lefebvre, the commander of MARSOC, presented Rodriguez with his award at a ceremony at the MARSOC Headquarters building.

“We obviously realize the magnitude of this presentation,” Lefebvre told the crowd. “Our heritage is based on our actions. And the actions that we’re recognizing today add significance to the history of the Navy, and to the history of the Corps.”

By Cpl. Kyle McNally
Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command
U.S. Marine Corps

November 6, 2009, was a typical day for the men of Company F., 2^nd Marine Special Operations Battalion. With about a week remaining in their tour in Afghanistan, they had been tasked with recovering the bodies of two fellow Marines who had drowned in a nearby river. They entered the town of Bala Murghab, in Badghis province, knowing that there would be a fight.

Hospital Corpsman First Class Amilcar Rodriguez described that day to the Marine Times.

Rodriguez, a Navy corpsman assigned to the Marine force, several Marines and the Afghan commandos that they were mentoring took positions on a rooftop. Almost immediately they came under accurate and intense sniper fire. Rodriguez was called to attend to a wounded Marine and two wounded Afghans.

Rodriguez used his SAW weapon to deadly effect, firing nearly 200 rounds and silencing the Taliban sniper team. He then moved to aid the wounded. As he worked, he felt three blows to his body. An enemy round had pierced his chest and struck a lung. Another had hit his right arm. A third struck him in the neck.

The citation for his Silver Star records that he continued to try to treat the other wounded, and provided direction to Marines and other corpsmen after being moved from the roof.It continues “By his bold initiative, undaunted courage, and complete dedication to duty, Hospital Corpsman First Class Rodriguez reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service.”

Corpsman Rodriguez had been awarded the Purple Heart for his wounds. His arm injury required several surgeries and physical therapy. He has regained use and sensation.

Amilcar Rodriguez joined the United States Navy in 1998 after his graduation from an Avon CT high school. He currently instructs other Special Operations medics at the Joint Special Operations Medical Training Center at Fort Bragg, NC. In 2009 he was named MARSOC Medic of the Year. Rodriguez is married and has one son.

The word “hero” has often come to mean someone who just happened to be present at a disaster. That diminishes the term, when it truly applies to men and women like Hospital Corpsman First Class Amilcar Rodriguez. The Silver Star is the third highest award for valor in battle that a sailor can receive, preceded only by the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. Heroes such as Amilcar Rodriguez deserve our admiration, our thanks and our respect. A medal is just a small symbol of what America owes such heroes.

Here are some excerpts and links to stories about a number of heroes from the War on Terror. All deserve our thanks. Follow the link at the end of each item for more information.

Staff Sergeant Michael Bock – Silver Star

Bock was honored for his service at a ceremony in Bellevue, NE. Bock served his country and was killed fighting in Afghanistan back in August. His commanding officer described him as a hero.

“But what makes a hero? You are not born with it. In my opinion. No way. You train, it is installed from mom and dad values and courage. Then you marry it. Serving others while serving one self can be noble. But a special type of nobility attaches itself to those who serve others at a cost to themselves. That can define with hero means but Michael Bock was a hero,” said Lt. Col. Bain.

Fox 42 News

On March 7, 2010, Private Cook was killed on a remote mountain in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked his unit.

“The mission that we had to do was important, and it turned to tragedy when he fell,” says Sgt. First Class James Pozin, who was Private Cook’s platoon leader.

Sgt. Pozin says Cook wasn’t with their platoon for long, but that he left an impression on the men he served with.

“I think everyone in that squad calls him a friend or a brother,” says Pozin. “His leadership loved him. I enjoyed having him on the missions I was on.”

NBC montana.com

Capt. Matthew Martin and his wife, Michelle, pose in their Hampstead home.

Capt. Matthew Martin – Bronze Star with V (second award)

The story of how he earned the two medals reflects how warfare has evolved in recent years. The first was for his part in actions to capture and hold two bridges in Iraq, a combat story that could almost have come from the World War II movie “Saving Private Ryan.”

The second Bronze Star, which he expects to receive next month, is for the how he led a company into a lawless area of Afghanistan, destroying poppy fields and holding meetings, or “shuras,” with village elders.

Star News online

“I’ll never forget that day,” Vandesande said. “It was my first patrol in Afghanistan. We were returning home to our base when they came up behind us. Two of my Marines were hit and both went down. They called for me and that was pretty much it.”

One of the Marines had been shot in the right thigh and again in his left thigh, shattering his femur, Vandesande said. The other was hit with shrapnel in the back of the head.

Under heavy enemy fire and unable to move the injured Marines, Vandesande stayed with them and treated their injuries as best he could until a medical evacuation helicopter arrived.

“I was kind of in the middle of it all,” Vandesande said. “So I pulled them about 10 or 15 feet into a ditch and waited for everyone to catch up.”

Both Marines survived, according to the citation.

Island Packet

1st Lt. David A. Provencher, executive Officer for Bravo Company, 1-87 Infantry, is presented the Silver Star during a ceremony Jan. 26. Provencher was awarded the Silver Star for his valorous actions June 16, 2010 in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. Photo by Chief Petty Officer Michael Reinsch

Shots were fired from insurgents at United States Special Operations Forces and Afghan National Army Commandos in the village of Isa Kahn in Kunduz province, Afghanistan. They radioed for a quick reaction force to assist in the fight.

1st Lt. David A. Provencher, then 4th Platoon Leader, Charlie Company, 1-87 Infantry Regiment and his team answered the call. Upon arrival at the village he dismounted and joined the SOF and ANA service members in the fight. Insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device under one of the U.S. vehicles, and Provencher reacted.

Provencher was awarded the Silver Star Jan. 26 for his valorous actions on June 16, 2010. The Silver Star is the third highest military decoration that can be awarded to a service member from any branch of the United States military for valor in the face of the enemy.

“I’ve never had a better platoon leader in my career,” said Sgt. Daniel Stein, a squad leader with 4th platoon, Charlie Company, 1-87 Infantry, Regiment. “I am working on seven years. He’s a great guy and he knew his stuff, anyone in the whole unit would have done anything for him.”

Stein was with Provencher when the event occurred and assisted him when the IED was set off. He has been recommended for the Bronze Star with Valor device for his actions that day.

“Our mission was pretty simple. We did an ANA partner mission the night before and we were just QRF [Quick Reaction Force] for the ANA Commandos and Special Forces for the next day,” said Provencher, now Executive Officer for Bravo Company. “They came under fire and were running out of ammunition and a couple of their weapon systems were breaking down. We moved up to assist them with ammo and fire-power.”

“It’s during that time they continued to push up with the route clearance patrol platoon, and their vehicle was struck by an IED. I was about 50 meters to the north of their position in an open field when the IED struck. I saw there was someone lying on the ground, so I moved over to where they were,” said Provencher.

Provencher and Stein maneuvered under direct fire from the enemy to the disabled vehicle to discover that two soldiers had been killed and three more were wounded. He provided support for the three wounded soldiers until they found cover and for one of the deceased soldiers until his remains were removed from the vehicle.

The second fallen soldier was trapped under the vehicle, and even though he was told they should come back for the soldier, Provencher led a small two-man team to the destroyed vehicle, recovered the last soldier with the use of a recovery vehicle and brought the fallen soldier back.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. David Provencher, from Ellenville, N.Y., and an infantry platoon leader with 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, from the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, receives the Silver Star Medal from Maj. Gen. James Terry, the division’s commander, during a ceremony at Forward Operating Base Kunduz, in northern Afghanistan. Provencher is credited with saving the lives of three wounded soldiers and refusing to leave two others that were mortally wounded. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class John Queen

“The only instinct I felt was, believe it or not, compassion,” Provencher said. “Historically people who were put in for Silver Stars were taking out bunkers and doing all sorts of heroic stuff. I just don’t class myself among previous valor reward recipients.

“It was never a question in my mind to leave a dead or wounded soldier. What went through my mind is ‘I wouldn’t want to be left out there’ and somebody’s parents are going to ask some difficult questions someday,” he said. “They should be afforded the right to be protected, whether they’re dead or alive.”

Provencher is due to redeploy back to his home station within the next couple of months. When he returns home he wants to attend the captains course and take charge of his own company.

DVIDS
Story by Sgt. Michael Reinsch

Sergeant William W. Rollins -right- is congratulated by a Marine from his unit, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, during a ceremony in which Rollins was awarded the Silver Star, the Nation's third-highest award in a ceremony at the Combat Center's Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Parade Field Dec. 17, 2010. Photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Anderson

A former Combat Center Marine was awarded the Silver Star for valor in Afghanistan during a ceremony on Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Parade Field Dec. 17, 2010.

Sergeant William W. Rollins earned the nation’s third-highest award for demonstrating courage under fire in action against the enemy June 19, 2008, while serving as 1st Squad Leader, 2nd Platoon, Company G, 2d Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

During a patrol to the village of Dowlatabad, in Balkh province Afghanistan, Rollins squad was ambushed. His squad was pinned down and could not find a way out. Rollins’ found himself on the far left of the squad and furthest from the fire. After a quick assessment, he seemed to be the only one mobile enough to create a distraction, his only hope to free his Marines from the enemy’s fire and get them to safety. With machine guns and rocket propelled grenades flying at the Marines, Rollins rushed to within 30 meters of the enemy positions, leveled his machine gun and provided suppressive fire, allowing his men to escape the immediate ambush area, according to the award citation.

Once his Marines withdrew, Rollins courageously maneuvered through enemy fire to rejoin his squad where he continued to attack the squad enemy while the squad’s wounded Marines were extracted. Then, with enemy fire still impacting around him, Rollins observed a Marine hit, rushed to his aid and dragged him to safety. Rollins aggressive actions in the face of the enemy drew fire onto his own position and provided his squad the reprieve they needed to maneuver to safety, according to the award citation.

Marines and those closest to him aboard the Combat Center attended the ceremony to honor their brother for his bravery.

“Sergeant Rollins is truly a hero, his actions are incredible and selfless,” said Lt. Col. John M. Reed, battalion commander, 2nd Bn., 7th Marines. His actions on the battlefield place him in the company of many other notable Marines in history.

Reed also noted that Rollins’ actions were taken solely to ensure the safety of his brothers on the battlefield. “The silver star is awarded to anyone who distinguishes himself in extraordinary heroism and gallantry,” Reed added.

Several of his fellow Marines said the medal was well-deserved, that Rollins bravery epitomized the values every Marine, past and present, lives by.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he got it,” said Edgar Figueroa, a former active duty Marine and friend of Rollins. “He’s a very humble guy. He would give you the shirt off his back. He is a normal guy, who got put in an extraordinary situation, did what any Marine or squad leader would do; protect his squad, even if it means his own life. I’m proud of him.”

After the ceremony, Rollins stood proud and humbled as the Silver Star hung from his chest and old friends greeted him with smiles and congratulations.

“I feel extremely honored,” Rollins said. “The only thing going through my head at the time was how can we move to cover safely. This [award] was the last thing on my mind. It is quite an honor, and it’s nice to be back.”

Rollins and his wife, Alexandra, expect a baby girl in February. He plans to enroll in a fire fighter academy in Houston.

Marine Corps
By Lance Cpl. Sarah Anderson
Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms

CITATION:

The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Sergeant William W. Rollins, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as 1st Squad Leader, Second Platoon, Company G, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, United States Marine Corps Forces, Central Command in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 19 June 2008.

Enemy fighters ambushed Sergeant Rollins squad with a high volume of machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire from multiple prepared positions. With the majority of his squad pinned down by the accurate enemy fires, Sergeant Rollins rushed to within 30 meters of the enemy positions, in the face of almost certain death, and provided suppressive fire which allowed his men to escape the immediate ambush area.

Once his Marines withdrew, Sergeant Rollins courageously maneuvered through enemy fire to rejoin his squad where he continued to attack the enemy while the wounded Marines were extracted. Then, with enemy fire still impacting around him, Sergeant Rollins dragged a Marine casualty to safety.

Sergeant Rollins aggressive actions in the face of the enemy drew fire onto his own position and provided his squad the reprieve they needed to maneuver to safety. Sergeant Rollins bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, International Security Assistance Force commander, shakes the hand of U.S. Army Sgt. Donald Starks from Grayling, Mich., fire team leader for C Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, after awarding him the Silver Star for his actions during an Oct. 30 attack. Photo by U.S. Army Capt. Rob Quint

U.S. Army Sgt. Donald Starks from Grayling, Mich., received the Silver Star in a ceremony on Combat Outpost Margah in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province today.

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, International Security Assistance Force commander, awarded Starks for his actions during an insurgent attack on COP Margah, Oct. 30.

Starks, the fire team leader for C Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, was in charge of a six-man team located at an observation post five kilometers southeast of COP Margah when they were attacked by more than 25 insurgents.

“I heard [U.S. Army Pfc. James Platt] say ‘Sgt. Starks, I see movement,’” said U.S. Army Pfc. Livingston Morehouse, C Company, 4th BCT.

Before Platt could finish his radio transmission, the team began taking fire from multiple sides.

“Sgt. Starks and I ran north,” said Morehouse “Starks opened fire with the [MK-48 machine gun] … [Insurgents] were so close, we could hear them speak to each other.”

Starks shot illumination fire, positioned his soldiers and led the charge against Taliban fighters.

Enemy fire continued from all directions as Starks realized two of his five soldiers were wounded and they were running low on ammunition. He made the critical decision to break contact with the insurgents attacking the observation post and return to COP Margah. While continuously calling in air support, Starks led his team through indirect and direct fire back to COP Margah where the injured soldiers were treated.

“Starks distinguished himself with gallantry and bravery in combat against an enemy that outnumbered his element five-to-one,” said U.S. Army Capt. David Schulz, company commander of C Company, 2nd Bn., 4th BCT, who recommended Starks for the Silver Star.

“In the face of overwhelming odds, he led his men to safety while calling for and adjusting fire,” Starks’ citation read. “His remarkable performance and selfless commitment to his fellow comrades in arms undoubtedly saved the lives of all of his men.”

DVIDS

Mark J. Roland was outnumbered.

Enemy fire was coming from as close as three meters away. It was an outright ambush, as enemy fighters used machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and rifles to attack U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Roland and a group of Afghan forces on June 11, 2007.

But Roland, a State College native, refused to back down, according to an account released by the Army. Next week, he is scheduled to receive the prestigious Silver Star Medal for his valor in combat.

StateCollege.com
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“Our supply vehicles were hit with a very elaborate and large ambush. In our response to that, we discovered that our Afghan National counterparts were actually in the assault, in the ambush, and they became pinned down in the fire,” said Roland via telephone from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. “Then subsequent to that, we ended up going and helping them out and getting them out of the situation.”

WJAC TV
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The Army narrative accompanying the Silver Star medal reads, in part: “As a result of his exceptional bravery in voluntarily rescuing eight Afghan Soldiers, destroying enemy fighters at close range, and leading the actions of a split detachment, Sergeant Roland inspired those around him by his poise, confidence, and absolute willingness to risk his life to accomplish the mission and turn the momentum of the fight.”

Centre Daily Times
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Roland joined the Army in 1991 and is married to the former Claire Ellen Intorre, of Boalsburg, according to a government-supplied biography. He has served around the world: in Operation Hurricane Andrew Relief in 1992; in Operation Restore Hope to Somalia in 1993; and as a sergeant in Panama, Chile and Kosovo, among other missions.

Roland has been deployed twice as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the war in Afghanistan. He is the recipient of multiple military decorations, including the Bronze Star, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army reported.

StateCollege.com

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

July 4 2009 was quite a day in the Twitterverse, that portion of the Internet community that uses Twitter. A Twitter user announced that his son had been killed in Afganistan. Messages of support came in. Others questioned if the death had actually happened. Still others took the father to task for his announcement on Twitter or for the type of business he ran on the Internet. All in all, hundreds if not thousands of people learned about Aaron Fairbairn.

No one heard about Justin Casillas.

Pfc. Justin Casillas

And that is a shame.

On Independence Day, his camp came under direct assault. Soldiers filmed part of the fighting, including footage of Casillas firing a mortar as part of a two-person team.

There’s no film of what happened next, when shrapnel from enemy ordnance severed a leg artery of Casillas’ gunmate, Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, 20, of Aberdeen, Wash. Casillas, trained in first aid, knew that Fairbairn, a close friend from boot camp, needed immediate treatment.

“Pfc. Casillas, without hesitation, actually pushed his . . . platoon sergeant and mortar crew chief aside,” said 1st Lt. Mike Bassi, in an interview filmed by troops.

Casillas “ran into incoming fire three different times: one to get a fire mission in order for us to return fire effectively on the enemy. The second time to retrieve Pfc. Fairbairn, who was injured in the mortar pit, and the third time to take him” for medical treatment, the lieutenant said.

But as Casillas carried his taller, wounded friend through enemy fire, a mortar round landed 5 feet away, killing them both.

by Howard Blume
Los Angeles Times
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The ceremony honoring a fallen Colusa County hero was sacred, simple and heartbreaking.

The family of Army Pfc. Justin A. Casillas received a Silver Star on Monday for his heroic actions in battle on the Fourth of July, 2009.

“The Silver Star … is a celebration of Justin’s gallantry,” Capt. Bryce Kawaguchi, Casillas’ commanding officer, said during the ceremony, describing Casillas as a man that “all soldiers should seek to emulate.”

Lt. Col. Peter G. Minalga called Casillas “fearless” and described him as “the best kind of soldier.”

Casillas’ mother, Donna Casillas, and sisters, Victoria and Ashleigh, accepted the military honor together at Arbuckle Memorial Park in front of the American flag pole that bears Casillas’ name.

Casillas died in battle at the age of 19, just a year after graduating from Pierce High School in Arbuckle.

“Words cannot describe the pride we feel today,” Minalga remarked, “or the heartache of the loss of such a fine American paratrooper.”

By Rob Parsons/Tri-County Newspapers
Willows Journal

Company C, 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion, California National Guard

Spraktes served as the flight medic for DUSTOFF 24, 7th Squadron, 17th Cavalry regiment, alongside pilots Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brandon Erdman and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Scott St. Aubin and crew chief Staff Sgt. Thomas Gifford.

On July 17, 2009, the medical evacuation crew responded in support of 3rd Platoon, Company C, 2-12th Infantry in the middle of a complex Taliban ambush in the Watapur Valley in northern Afghanistan.

Spraktes chose to be lowered to the platoon’s position under heavy, effective enemy fire from 150 meters. While on the ground, he treated and removed five injured Soldiers from the firefight, one of which had suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound to the abdomen. Spraktes also provided suppressive gunfire in support of the platoon and redistributed his own ammunition, all while under enemy gunfire.

Spraktes then refused to be hoisted out and chose to remain in the fight to later conduct a dismounted movement out of the area with the platoon in order to continue providing aid and support. It was only after DUSTOFF 24 returned and gave Spraktes a direct order to get into the aircraft that he relented and left the area.

Had it not been for Spraktes’ selfless acts of courage, valor and assumption of risk, 3rd Platoon, Company C, 2-12th Infantry would not have been able to resume the momentum of their fight. Without question, Spraktes and DUSTOFF 24 prevented the loss of Soldiers’ lives.

California National Guard
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“As far as we knew there were still troops in contact which means they were still taking enemy fire,” said Spraktes.

They were pinned down by heavy fire coming from steep cliffs above. The crew chose to fly their Black Hawk in, under fire, Spraktes was lowered to the ground and hoisted five wounded soldiers to safety one by one.

“The patient had a significant wound from a RPG blast, taking off a lot of the flesh of his upper arm. He had a lot of blood all over him,” said Spraktes.

Two others were also badly wounded.

“He was still bleeding. I had to put a second tourniquet on him and try to get a rapid set of vitals,” said Spraktes.

KGO-TV
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Brig. Gen. Mary J. Kight, the adjutant general of the California National Guard, pins the Silver Star Medal on Staff Sgt. Emmett Spraktes during an award ceremony June 13 at Mather Airfield in Sacramento. Spraktes was awarded the Silver Star for heroic actions during a medical evacuation mission while serving with California National Guard’s Company C, 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion in Afghanistan. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Flagg

Hovering 70 feet over a battle zone, about to be lowered to the ground on a cable dangling from his helicopter, medic Staff Sgt. Emmett Spraktes drummed up the necessary courage by picturing the parents of the injured Soldiers below.

“We’re up there, and we know we can’t land and there’s a risk, but I imagine looking into the eyes of a [Soldier’s] parent and saying, ‘I can’t do this,’” Spraktes recalled. “How could I talk to the mother or father of one these boys and say, ‘I was just too afraid to go’?”

Moments later, when the cable stopped moving only partway to the ground — making Spraktes a sitting target above the battle field — it was his own children who came to mind.

“When I was hanging, I thought I would never get out of there. I was convinced this would be the end of me,” he said. “’This is all my children are going to know of me — everything we’ve had up to this time.’”

He called up to Crew Chief Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Gifford: “Tell my children I love them.”

“You love me?” came the confused response.

“Not you, you idiot!” Spraktes yelled. “My kids!” The men shared a momentary laugh amid the gunfire, and then the cable started moving again.

Spraktes reached the ground intact with explosions and gun bursts echoing all around him and went to work on the three injured patients as his Black Hawk crew flew to safety. This was only the beginning.

After tending to the most severely injured patient, Spraktes called for the Black Hawk to return to his location to pick up the injured Soldier and fly him to a nearby base. The Black Hawk delivered the patient then returned and picked up two more injured Soldiers — again leaving Spraktes behind to care for and defend the Soldiers on the ground.

“By the grace of God we were not hit,” said co-pilot Chief Warrant Officer Scott St. Aubin. “I have no idea how you miss a giant Black Hawk helicopter. It was really surreal.”

After dropping off patients for the second time, the Black Hawk returned to find that Spraktes was treating two Soldiers for dehydration. He again deferred his place on the aircraft to the injured Soldiers and sent the Black Hawk on its way, this time telling the crew he would stay on the ground and return to base on foot.

Spraktes’ crew would hear nothing of it, though, and returned to the dangerous location for a sixth time to perform yet another combat hoist extraction, finally bringing Spraktes to safety.

“I told the pilots I wasn’t leaving him,” Gifford said. “I was just doing my job and trying to get our guys out. [Medical evacuation] is a very dangerous job — there’s always somebody trying to shoot you down and stop you from what you’re trying to do.”

Spraktes was honored for his actions Sunday with the Silver Star — the third-highest award for valor given by the U.S. armed forces — and Gifford, St. Aubin and pilot Chief Warrant Officer Brandon Erdmann each received the Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor Device. Erdmann is a member of the Wyoming National Guard. The other three awardees are members of the California National Guard’s Company C, 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion.

Spraktes was the first California National Guard member to receive the Silver Star this century.

“This ceremony is about your selfless service while protecting our freedoms here at home,” said Brig. Gen. Mary J. Kight, the adjutant general of the California National Guard, during a ceremony at Mather Flight Facility near Sacramento. “These four Soldiers are American heroes. … I am proud to serve with you and I believe the acronym DUSTOFF truly describes your actions.”

DUSTOFF, which is synonymous with medical evacuation (medevac), stands for Dedicated Unhesitating Service To Our Fighting Forces.

“You four exemplify the very best of our military,” said Col. Mitchell Medigovich, commander of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, which includes Company C. “We put you in the most austere conditions, the most difficult places and ask you to perform missions that are simply daunting, and you always rise to the occasion.”

He noted that medevac helicopters — unlike all other aircraft flown by the CNG — are unarmed. The red cross on the helicopter is meant to deter fire, but the enemy often treats it as a bull’s-eye instead, Medigovich said.

“[Medevac Soldiers] do the job every day, unhesitating,” he said. “It’s a very special breed. Just the fact that you’re flying in there is testing one’s mettle.

“[This crew] is the best example of how our Soldiers react to adversity and accomplish the mission, saving the lives of our fellow patriots.”

The four awardees, however, deflected all praise, insisting they were only doing their job, doing what the Soldiers on the ground depended on them to do — doing what any other DUSTOFF crew would have done.

“We just happened to be there when the mission came up,” St. Aubin said. “Any one of the crews with us [in Afghanistan] would have done the same thing. I’d trust my life with any single one of them.”

“Medevac — you choose that unit,” he continued. “You know the danger and inherent risk. The kind of person who chooses that [job] is out here today.”

By Brandon Honig, Joint Force Headquarters Public Affairs
California National Guard

Maj. Gen. Paul E. Lefebvre, left, Commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Marine Special Operations Command, pins a Silver Star medal on Staff Sgt. Mark Robinson after receiving his Silver Star and citation during an awards ceremony at Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. Don Bryan/The Daily News

While on a deployment to Afghanistan in 2008, the men, all assigned to Marine Special Operations Advisor Group, Marine Special Operations Team 5, came under attack from insurgents on Oct. 28 while on a patrol. Though they were outnumbered nearly three to one, and the Afghan insurgents were skilled, the American troops returned fire and defended each other, continuing to fight in some cases despite gunshot and shrapnel wounds.

EncToday.com

Staff Sgt. Mark Robinson, an operator assigned to U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, is congratulated by his father after being awarded the Silver Star Medal, March 31, at the MARSOC headquarters building. Robinson was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions during a 2008 firefight in Afghanistan. Photo by Cpl. Richard Blumenstein

Wells tossed hand grenades to “repel numerous attempts by insurgent fighters attempting to gain entry into the compound” as then-Sgt. Robinson used his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon to hold off insurgents. Even when an RPG blast threw Robinson against a wall, he kept firing, according to his Silver Star citation.

About three-quarters of the way through the fight, a bullet tore through Pfeffer’s bicep. As Clairmont treated Pfeffer’s wound, the same insurgent fired again, hitting the corpsman in his helmet and knocking him down.

Robinson braved “enemy fire so that the team corpsman could treat the wound,” according to the citation, but Pfeffer was struck a second time in the wrist. Injured and “suffering from heavy blood loss,” Pfeffer “remained in command of his section throughout the fight, continuing to aid his fellow Marines by utilizing his uninjured arm to prepare hand grenades for them,” according to his citation.

Realizing they were surrounded, Pfeffer ordered the team members to fight their way out of the compound.

“Sgt. Robinson fought a rear guard action against approximately 50 insurgents while moving over 800 meters, allowing his fellow team members to reach safety,” according to the citation. “His actions saved the lives of those Marines by allowing his isolated section to safely link up with the rest of the patrol.”

Marine Corps Times

Maj. Gen. Paul E. Lefebvre, the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command presents Chief Petty Officer Jeremy K. Torrisi, a hospital corpsman with 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion with the Silver Star Medal in Court House Bay's gymnasium, Jan 21. Torrisi received the medal for heroic actions in Afghanistan June 26, 2008. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Richard Blumenstein)

“You hear your buddies go down …You close your eyes… You think about everything … You hear you’re the only other corpsman. What would you do?”

Chief Petty Officer Jeremy K. Torrisi, a hospital corpsman with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, faced that question, June 26, 2008 in the mountains of Afghanistan during the fiercest firefight of his life. Torrisi saved the lives of four of his comrades and received the Silver Star Medal at the Court House Bay Gymnasium, Jan 21.

So far, one Navy Cross, two Silver Star Medals, and two Bronze Star Medals with combat distinguishing devices have been awarded in the battle’s aftermath.

“I’m the one getting recognized today, but everybody knows, I hope, the story that went down that day it wasn’t one person, it wasn’t two, it wasn’t three, it was everybody,” Torrisi said during the award ceremony. “Everybody doing their part. We have a lot of guys around today walking, talking, and breathing because of that. I was just part of the well-oiled machine that we were.”

The Battle

On June 26, 2008, two Marine Special Operations Teams with 2d Marine Special Operation Battalion, MARSOC, and Afghan national army soldiers set out on a mission to locate a high value target in the mountains of Afghanistan.

After driving across the desert, the teams came to a draw surrounded on each side by mountains. MSOT 1 pushed into the narrow draw with two tactical vehicles and an additional tactical vehicle from MSOT 2. The forward vehicle of the team encountered a cave system with two abandoned cars parked in front.

The team’s vehicles spread out inside the draw. The team dismounted from their vehicles and used their standard operating procedures to insure the vehicles were not rigged to explode; they were not, according to Torrisi, who was with MSOT 2.

That’s when two “ranging shots” gave way to a hail of gunfire that literally seemed to rain down on the team’s position, according to Torrisi.

“I’ve never heard gunfire like that before,” Torrisi said. “It was like four or five guys just depressing on a [M2 50. caliber machine gun] at once.”

The bullets shot into the antennas, doors, windows, gun turrets, vehicles, engine blocks, and tires.

“In the first four to five minutes we received roughly four to five casualties,” Torrisi said.

Among them was Sgt. Samuel E. Schoenheit, an operator with MARSOC and now a staff sergeant.

Schoenheit and Sgt. Carlos Bolanos, the MSOT 1 communications chief, were in the second vehicle roughly 50 meters away from the forward most vehicle. Both sergeants received Bronze Stars with combat distinguishing devices, for their actions in the firefight.

As the gunfire rained down on their position the sergeants immediately began laying down cover fire in hopes the Marines further on the ground would be able to take cover. Bolanos jumped from the driver seat to man a M240G machine gun and sprayed rounds into the mountainside while Schoenheit fired a barrage of Mark 47 Striker 40 automatic grenade launcher rounds.

“When he’s running out of ammo, I’m shooting and when I’m down he’s shooting, we’re talking guns,” Bolanos said.

The Marines received the order to move forward. Bolanos exposed himself to the enemy’s line of fire to move closer to the forward vehicle. He jumped out of the vehicle and the two sergeants resumed laying fire into the mountainside.

However, the enemy positions seemed impossible to find, and their fire was deadly accurate.

A single shot tore though Schoenheit’s night vision goggles and Kevlar helmet, then split and entered his skull.

“My bell was rung pretty good,” Schoenheit said. “At first I blacked out momentarily in the turret and woke up in the truck. In my mind I’m thinking I’m fine, I’m fine, but my ability to speak was shut down.”

Bolanos pulled Schoenheit into a safe position in the truck and bandaged his head wound. Another Marine ran back to the vehicle to take up the automatic grenade launcher and was then shot through the hand and shoulder. Bolanos pulled him into the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Gunnery Sgt. John S. Mosser and Maj. Dan Strelkauskas, then a captain and team leader, were dealing with mounting injuries and relentless fire on the ground near the cave system. Mosser was awarded the Navy Cross and Strelkauskas received a Silver Star Medal for their actions that day. Over the radio, Mosser, ordered no one else enter the draw.

“He was basically saying over the radio, ‘nobody else comes in. If anybody else comes in you’re going to die,’” Torrisi said. Then a bullet ripped through the only other corpsman on the ground, piercing his lungs and other vital organs.

“That’s when I heard [the other corpsman] was injured. … They don’t have any other corpsmen in there… You hear your buddies go down …You close your eyes… You think about everything … You hear you’re the only other corpsman. What would you do?” Torrisi said. Torrisi was in the trunk of a MSOT 2 vehicle that was heading toward the draw to provide additional support. However, Mosser’s orders and the rugged terrain halted them. Torrisi jumped out of the vehicle and sprinted 50 meters through the enemy’s line of fire to the rearward vehicle. He addressed the Marines’ wounds and then sprinted another 50-75 meters to Bolanos’ and Schoenheit’s vehicle.

“The vehicle was getting pinged like it was cool, because they saw me run up,” Torrisi said.

Bullets entered the inside of the vehicle from the turret and windows. Immersed in rapid sniper fire, and unable to provide Schoenheit care, Torrisi did something a little crazy to end the snipers assault on their position.

“I launched a bunch of 203 rounds [grenade rounds fired from an M203 grenade launcher mounted on the underside of a service rifle] up through the turret from my sitting position, probably not the smartest thing, but it stopped the fire,” Torrisi said. Torrisi administered aid and then ordered Bolanos to back the vehicle to a safer location.
The boulders made navigating though the draw difficult, and slowing down or turning around was impossible, Bolanos said.

“There was no maneuvering forward, just backward. There was just one path in and one path out,” Bolanos said.

Torrisi then fireman-carried Schoenheit the rest of the way to the rearward vehicle. Three of the wounded Marines where evacuated by air support.

As the firefight raged on, Torrisi found himself with seven other Marines taking cover tightly along the side of the forwardmost vehicle. Torrisi was shot in the leg while administering aid to the wounded corpsman. He refused aid until the corpsman’s wounds were addressed. With the Marines pinned down, Moser exposed himself to enemy fire to gather more accurate grid coordinates on the enemy’s position. He then radioed in the grid coordinates and air support dropped a barrage of bombs, distracting the enemy.

Three Marines and Torrisi took the opportunity to carry the wounded corpsman to the cave system. The Marine driving the forward-most vehicle smashed it into one of the abandoned cars to clear a path. The vehicles pulled in, and the Marines loaded their wounded into the vehicles and headed to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that landed inside the danger zone. The severely wounded were evacuated. The Marines then pulled out of the draw, to a safe location where the rest of the wounded Marines where evacuated.

“It sounds cheesy, but we don’t do it for the medals,” Bolanos said. “We don’t do it for the awards. We do it for each other and to make sure we come back safe and sound.”

DVIDS
Story by Cpl. Richard Blumenstein

Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark A. Wanner sits at Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s desk prior to a Feb. 6, 2010, Silver Star Medal award ceremony in the Ohio Statehouse atrium. Also pictured with Wanner and Strickland, left, are Army Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, right, Ohio adjutant general, and Army Sgt. 1st Class Sean Clifton. Wanner received the medal for heroic actions that saved Clifton’s life during an operation in eastern Afghanistan on May 31, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Cleary

Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wanner prefers to be referred to as a soldier, not as a hero. But he graciously humors those who insist on the latter.

On Feb. 6, the Ohio Army National Guard Special Forces medical sergeant stood unassumingly on a stage in the Ohio Statehouse atrium here to receive the Silver Star Medal — the nation’s third-highest medal for valor in combat.

Despite the season’s worst snowstorm, several hundred people, including his fellow Green Berets from the Columbus-based Company B, 2nd Battalion of the Army National Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group, traveled to Central Ohio to attend the event honoring Wanner for his actions in Afghanistan during a firefight in May when he saved the life of a fellow Green Beret.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Army Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt, the adjutant general of Ohio, were on hand to present Wanner with the medal. It is the first such award for an Ohio National Guard member since the Korean War.

“We are in the presence of greatness today,” Strickland said. “Many people live their entire lives wondering if they’ve made a difference. But Sergeant 1st Class Mark Wanner never has to worry about that, does he?”

Fighting back tears, Army Sgt. 1st Class Sean Clifton recounted the day he almost lost his life after being shot multiple times during a raid on a Taliban compound in eastern Afghanistan.

“I’m standing here today, alive, because of the heroic and competent actions Mark performed on the night of May 31, 2009 — Memorial Day,” Clifton said.

The previous week, Clifton and his team had received word that a known Taliban leader soon would be meeting with about a half dozen Taliban fighters in a nearby village.

After waiting for five days with what Wanner referred to as “tactical patience,” the team received word that their target was in position. It had been training with their Afghan counterparts for nearly five months, and the plan was to allow the Afghans to take the lead and for the U.S. soldiers to follow closely behind.

But when the team approached the village, the Afghans already were in trouble, and the situation was deteriorating quickly. They had expected five or six Taliban fighters, but there were at least 30. They reacted immediately.

“I led some guys into a doorway, and that just happened to be the room that had 80 percent of the threat,” Clifton said. “I knew something wasn’t quite right. Then I got hit.”

Clifton had taken at least four rounds. The first entered his pelvis just below his body armor, the second hit the chest plate of his body armor, the third shattered his left forearm, and the last round hit his helmet, knocking off his night-vision goggles.

When he saw his injured arm and realized his rifle had dropped in front of him, Clifton knew he was in trouble.

He headed back out and almost immediately ran into Army Sgt. 1st Class Matt Scheaffer, a team medic. Wanner, the team’s senior medic, realized Clifton was hit and immediately ran to assist Scheaffer.

Rounds splashed the ground around them as they began working on their wounded comrade. Realizing the danger to their patient, they quickly dragged him around to what they assumed was the safer side of the building.

As the two medics continued to work on Clifton, Wanner began to realize the extent of his patient’s wounds. Wanner knew they couldn’t move Clifton unless they had a stretcher, so he ran to the vehicle to retrieve one. As the medic returned, the group began receiving fire from a window about 15 feet away, forcing them to press up against the wall of the building.

As he continued to work on Clifton, Wanner coordinated suppressing fire on the window and told Scheaffer to grab a fragmentation grenade.

Wanner kept on the back of his body armor and tossed the grenade into the room from which they were taking fire. The tactic worked. It subdued the enemy long enough to allow the medics to race Clifton to a vehicle for evacuation.

Wanner continued to provide life-saving care as they bounced across the desert to a medical evacuation site, avoiding the main routes they knew to be laced with roadside bombs.

When the medical evacuation helicopters arrived, Wanner boarded the one carrying his patient, and he didn’t leave until Clifton was transported to the U.S. Army hospital at Landstuhl, Germany, three days later.

“He was there every step of the way, ensuring I was receiving the best possible care,” Clifton said of Wanner’s actions. “He assisted the flight surgeon in the medevac, the trauma surgeons in the [operating room], and even helped out a wounded soldier that lay next to me. That’s Mark, … always going over and above the call of duty.”

Wanner, a North Dakota resident, spent nine years in his home state’s National Guard before joining the Ohio National Guard in 2000, when he accepted a job as a researcher with the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine.

In 2003, he left his job at the university to begin two years of Special Forces qualification and specialized language and medical training. When he moved back to North Dakota, he did not even consider leaving his Ohio National Guard Special Forces unit.

“I find it remarkable that he travels every month to train with these men right here,” Wayt said. “That speaks to the brotherhood that exists inside this unit.”

Throughout nearly 20 years of service, Wanner has worked in several specialties, training initially as a vehicle mechanic, then as a carpentry and masonry specialist and combat engineer in the North Dakota National Guard before joining the Ohio National Guard and earning his Green Beret. He earned a bachelor’s degree from North Dakota State University in 1996 with a major in microbiology and minors in chemistry and biotechnology.

Wayt referred to Wanner as a “fixer,” who epitomizes the spirit of the Silver Star Medal.

“If you have mechanical trouble, you call Mark. If you have a house problem and you want something built or fixed, you call Mark,” Wayt said. “And as Sergeant Clifton can attest, he fixes life-threatening injuries as well.”

Wanner, who currently works building custom homes in North Dakota, shrugged off the praise.

“I was just the closest person to him that day. The real heroes are the whole team, our Afghan counterparts,” he said. “The whole team’s a hero, because everyone did their part.”

Nonetheless, Clifton credits the medic who never left his side, ensuring he made it home to his wife and two young sons.

“I’ve thanked Mark several times since that day, and his response is always the same,” Clifton said. “‘Ah, you would have done the same thing. I was just doing my job.’”

DoD
By Army 2nd Lt. Kimberly Snow
Special to American Forces Press Service