Profiles of Valor - several updates

[Ysabel Kid]

Our very best...

PROFILES OF VALOR: USA SPC GIBSON

United States Army Specialist Joseph Gibson of the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, was on a mission to find and eliminate terrorists in Iraq in April 2008. Gibson and his fellow Rangers were being transported by helicopter. The chopper touched down at night and the soldiers disembarked, only to come under immediate enemy fire. One Ranger received a life-threatening wound in the firefight and Gibson helped navigate him over an uneven field filled with irrigation ditches to safety.

That's when the fight got interesting. The Rangers continued with their mission, clearing a field with tall grass and canals near the helicopter's landing zone. As Gibson walked through the field in the dark, he stepped on a terrorist hiding in a ditch. He took another step forward before turning to see what he had stepped on. The jihadi then moved to kill him and as many other Rangers as possible, but Gibson grabbed the terrorist's rifle muzzle as he opened fire. Gibson wrestled him to the ground, stripping the enemy of his
weapon, but the jihadi disarmed Gibson as well. Ferocious hand-to-hand combat ensued. The terrorist then reached for the detonator to his suicide vest and screamed "bomb!" in English. To put it simply, Gibson beat the jihadi unconscious. Then, "I got my weapon into his stomach and fired," Gibson said. "He came back to consciousness after that, [but] I knew I got him. I stood up and neutralized him." For his outstanding courage under fire and the daring rescue of his fellow Ranger, Spc Gibson was awarded the Silver Star.


PROFILES OF VALOR: CIVIL AFFAIRS TEAM 745

United States Army Sgt. 1st Class Drew Kimmey, Capt. Stephen Ward and Staff Sgt. Carlo Alcazar, members of Civil Affairs Team 745, were recently recognized for their daring rescue of a Special Forces team leader during an Afghanistan mission last November. CA Team 745 was stationed at Firebase Cobra in Oruzgan, Afghanistan, alongside special operations detachments from the 3rd Special Forces Group, as well as personnel from the Afghan National Army and National Police. The teams left to provide humanitarian aid to a nearby village, only to discover that the village had already been evacuated. Ward noted that "the buildings had locks and barricaded doors, which was a clear indication that the village wasn't abandoned, but had been turned into a defendable position." Indeed, 300 Taliban fighters soon engaged the teams in a firefight.

After an hour of fighting, two Army disabled vehicles were pulled to the rear of the fight, leaving the ground forces commander in front of coalition lines, pinned down in a vulnerable building. Ward, Alcazar and Kimmey used their vehicle to get to the commander for a rescue but crashed into an enemy position, rendering their vehicle immobile. Ward and Alcazar were momentarily knocked unconscious in the crash. When they recovered, Alcazar began reloading ammunition belts so that Kimmey, the gunner, could continue pounding enemy fighters. Ward directed the effort to reach the ground commander under Kimmey's cover fire. The unit remained under "continual, accurate and effective" enemy fire but managed to rescue the commander nonetheless. Once out of the building, team 745 stripped their vehicle to prevent the enemy from obtaining anything and ran beside a Special Forces vehicle for cover, there being no room for them on the truck.

For their bravery and heroic acts that day, Sgt. Kimmey, Capt. Ward and Staff Sgt. Alcazar were each awarded the Bronze Star with Combat "V" for valor.


PROFILES OF VALOR: USA SGT. GAINEY

United States Army Staff Sergeant Michael Gainey was manning the gunner's turret in his Humvee as part of a three-vehicle patrol in Baghdad in October 2007 when insurgents attacked the convoy. The enemy focused on Sgt. Gainey and his M240B machine gun, wounding him in the neck and hand. Gainey refused medical treatment, however, and continued to assist in coordinating the counterattack from his vantage point, taking out several insurgents with suppressive fire. The vehicle commander noticed that other American troops were in danger not far ahead and ordered the vehicle forward. Gainey directed progress from the turret while aiming a hail of gunfire at the enemy and eventually repelling the ambush. Because of his steadfastness under fire and effective coordination of the counterattack while wounded, Gainey was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V for Valor.


PROFILES OF VALOR: USA SGT. BODANI

Then-Specialist Jack Bodani of the United States Army was on patrol in Afghanistan marking mine fields, when an IED tore through his Humvee, injuring all of the soldiers inside. Waiting insurgents immediately directed small arms fire and mortar rounds at the wounded convoy. Burned on his ears and legs and initially knocked out by the blast, Bodani was the first soldier away from the vehicle, but when he realized there was a soldier unaccounted for he returned to give aid. With the help of his gunner, Bodani saved the soldier stuck in the Humvee just before the heat from the fire began setting off ordnance and rifle ammunition in the vehicle. As the soldiers gathered under cover, they found that the only one with a weapon was the medic, who was running toward the Humvee. However, she fell wounded as well. Bodani raced over, picked up her and her rifle and got her to safety while returning fire on the enemy. Because of his courageous actions no American soldiers were lost that day. Bodani, now a Sergeant, was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V for Valor.

PROFILES OF VALOR: USMC LCPL MCLEESE

On 16 September 2004, United States Marine Corps Lance Corporal Justin McLeese was riding in a convoy traveling to a compound in central Iraq when his Humvee flipped off the road in the rough, gravel terrain. He was thrown 20 feet from the vehicle but immediately went back to help those trapped inside. McLeese pulled two fellow Marines from the wreckage, including his platoon sergeant. The platoon then lifted the Humvee off the ground to save a third Marine stuck underneath.

It was in Fallujah later that year, though, where McLeese really proved his mettle. As his team was clearing numerous buildings in the city on 11 November, they engaged and killed four enemy fighters. One insurgent had faked his death, however, and tried to engage the Marines from a nearby room. McLeese acted quickly, eliminating the threat with a shotgun blast. Two days later, upon entering another building in Fallujah, McLeese was hit numerous times by enemy fire. Despite his wounds, he continued to fight alongside his comrades until he was fatally wounded by an IED explosion. For his courage and tenacity under fire, McLeese posthumously received the Bronze Star.

[Sixgun]

Kid,
Great stories! We have the world's finest soldiers but what really pis__es me off to no end is why the stinkin' media does not tell us these great achievements? These young boys loosing their lives and gettin' all shot up for a stinkin' muslim to run for president? Let the revolution begin!--------------------------Sixgun

[Ysabel Kid]

Telling the stories of the courage, honor and valor of our warriors may cause young people to respect them instead of the Hollywierd "actors", music-industry druggies, and sports-felons that pass for heroes to our young ones. Heck, they may even grow up to be conservative military members themselves - and vote Republican.

The "useful idiots" can't tolerate that, can they?

[jfwlb]

HOOAH!!

[Jaguarundi]

Hooah to the those that answered the call to duty with the "right stuff"! !Thanks for post'n.