Santee, Calif., Marine awarded Bronze Star medal for heroic actions in Iraq [Image 6 of 6]

AL QA'IM, IRAQ

07.13.2006

Photo by Staff Sgt. James Goodwin 

I Marine Expeditionary Force

Lt. Col. Nicholas F. Marano, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, shakes hands with Staff Sgt. Jeffery V. Escalderon, a 36-year-old platoon sergeant from Santee, Calif., after Marano awarded Escalderon the Bronze Star medal July 13, 2006, for his heroic actions during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004. Two years ago, Escalderon battled terrorists in this once insurgent-infested city of about 30,000 when the battalion was deployed to this same region in western Al Anbar Province in November 2004. "I just told my Marines every day to keep doing what they were trained to do - take the fight to the enemy," said Escalderon. Marines in this area launched a large-scale operation in November 2005 to rid the area of insurgents and since then have maintained control of the area from terrorists. Marines have also spent the past four months mentoring and training Iraqi soldiers to become a self-sustaining force. The Marines' progress with Iraqi Security Forces in this region has led to three new Iraqi police stations in various border cities in the last two months. (Photo by Cpl. Antonio Rosas)

• Date Taken: 07.13.2006
• Date Posted: 07.26.2006 06:43
• Photo ID: 26615
• Resolution: 800x1200
• Size: 373.1 KB
• Location: AL QA'IM, IQ