Photo By Staff Sgt. Zachary Mott | From left, 1st Lt. Galen Peterson, a Colorado Springs, Colo., native; Sgt. 1st Class...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Zach Mott
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office, 4th Infantry Division
BAGHDAD – Two Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers led the charge to secure an Iraqi army manned checkpoint near Sadr City in the earliest days of fighting that broke out there March 27.
First Lt. Galen Peterson, a Colorado Springs, Colo., native, and Staff Sgt. Jason Key, a St. Louis native, were part of a group of four Soldiers who raced to support a checkpoint that was on the verge of being overrun by an estimated 100 special groups members.
For their valorous efforts, Peterson and Key, along with two of their fellow 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Soldiers, were presented Bronze Star medals with 'V' for Valor devices during a ceremony April 17 at Forward Operating Base Callahan.
"They were taking (rocket propelled grenade) hits on their vehicles left and right, pretty much getting blown apart," Peterson said, about the Iraqi army forces manning the checkpoint.
The platoon leader for Company C, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, ordered his troops to drive to the checkpoint in their humvees, but the group was unable to get closer than 300 meters because of disabled vehicles blocking their path.
"We dismounted the four and we assaulted toward the checkpoint," he said. "All the IA guys were all pinned down between the Colorado barriers and the curb. They were just trying not to get killed."
Peterson led the movement as Key, Sgt. Kyle Kincaid and Spc. Cory Bushell followed. The group took cover behind whatever they could – buildings, vehicles, trees – as they maneuvered as close as they could to the checkpoint.
When further movement was impossible, the group took refuge in a building that was previously occupied by coalition forces.
"We set up two guys on the balcony on the second floor, and myself and the LT went up to the top floor," Key said. "As soon as we got up there, we started taking precision fire. They knew we were there."
The humvees provided what cover fire they could to keep the special groups members at bay. Peterson, Kincaid and Bushell fired at the enemy positions while Key set up the anti-tank weapon. Once prepped, Key fired a round at the window where much of the small-arms fire was originating.
"That pretty much quieted that guy down," said Key, a truck commander with Co. C, 1-68 AR.
This helped serve as a boon to the Iraqi army soldiers who, up until this point, were resigned to seeking refuge where they could.
"I think the Iraqi army kind of followed us a little bit after that," said Key. "Once they (saw) us come out with some bigger stuff – like the AT-4 – the BMP finally lit up the main gun round and they started actively engaging the enemy at that time. That was kind of like a morale booster for them. It seemed to turn the tide on that little situation."
The lull brought on by eliminating the primary enemy position served as an opportunity to maneuver the Soldiers out of the building.
"We used that time to get back down. Then we started taking more fire – this time straight down the road toward the Sadr City traffic circle," Peterson said.
Awaiting Apache helicopters used a Hellfire missile to quiet that gunfire.
Ninety minutes after the battle began, humvees left the scene bound for a coalition forces outpost to resupply on ammunition and other goods in case they were called into duty again.
After operating mostly from humvees during the last deployment for the Silver Lions, the tankers are used to pounding the ground with something other than the pads of the track that hurls their tank along.
"The guys are used to the infantry fight," Peterson said. "My guys actually do really well at it. They're good at tanking, but these guys are really also good at being infantrymen too."
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2008 10:07 |
| Story ID: | 18731 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 506 |
| Downloads: | 287 |
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