Photo By Staff Sgt. Andrea Merritt | Clinton, Md., native Col. Kevin O'Connell, awards Staff Sgt. Colin White, an Ocala,...... read more read more
By Spc. Andrea Merritt
1st Sustainment Brigade PAO
CAMP TAJI, Iraq - Personal courage and other Army values are drilled into Soldiers throughout their military careers. Although it is last mentioned on the list, it often presents itself first in a time of chaos and crisis.
Four Soldiers of the 15th Transportation Company, a Fort Sill, Okla., unit attached to the 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, which is attached to the 1st Sustainment Brigade, were awarded for their personal courage in a ceremony, April 14.
The quick actions they took after their convoy underwent an explosively formed penetrator attack, Sept. 2, 2007, ultimately saved the lives of two wounded Soldiers.
On the night of the attack, the Soldiers of the 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion were conducting a mission to deliver ammunition and vehicles to Forward Operating Base Hammer.
Even though the unit they replaced had traveled the same route without any incidents, they knew something wasn't right.
"Normally, you will see people. They're not supposed to be out, but they're out," said Sgt. Michael Johnson, a Dickson, Tenn., native and truck driver with the 15th TC.
Some of the Soldiers' intuition went into overdrive as they entered into the Sadr City District of Baghdad because they noticed the town was not bustling with activity like it was when they passed through it the previous night.
"That night we were headed back from (FOB) Hammer coming into Sadr City and the hair on the back of my neck stood up," said Staff. Sgt. Colin White, an Ocala, Fla., native, and squad leader with the 15th TC. "It was like a ghost town. We were just saying, 'Something is about to happen,' then the whole block lit up like Christmas."
An explosively formed projectile had detonated within five meters of the first vehicle in the convoy, causing it to erupt in flames. As Soldiers went to assist those who were trapped inside, a gunman atop a roof targeted the troops with small-arms fire.
White took action and engaged the gunman. After suppressing the small-arms fire, White made his way to the burning vehicle, where he was informed there was a Soldier still inside.
As he attempted to enter the vehicle and rescue the Soldier, the intense heat from the fire caused rounds inside to cook off. White sustained cuts to his face from the debris, but continued his efforts to rescue the Soldier.
Johnson, a trained combat lifesaver, initially pulled security for White during the attack. When he was relieved of his security duties he noticed another Soldier near the burning vehicle was injured. Johnson moved him away from the flames and began treating the life-threatening wounds.
"Honestly, I don't think anything runs through your mind. You look out for your buddy and make sure nothing has happened to him," said Johnson. "If you take fire, you fire back and take care of the people who are hurt."
After receiving the call to put out the fire, Sgt. Brandon Stovall, a Philadelphia, Miss., native and truck driver with the 15th TC, moved forward in his truck.
Stovall, who is also a trained combat lifesaver, began rendering aid to the Soldier, who kept going in and out of consciousness.
"You do what you are trained to do. It's instinctive," Stovall said. "(The training) is redundant, but it's embedded in the back of your mind so when something does go down, you don't have to think about it. You know what to do."
In the midst of the chaos, Spc. Joshua Dupuis, a New Iberia, La., native, who serves as the night operations non-commissioned officer in charge for 15th TC, served as the primary link between the convoy and the battalion due to limited communication abilities at the time.
"When they said that (Dupuis) was the only communication the (combat logistic patrol) had between us and battalion, they're not exaggerating," White said.
The information Dupuis provided to the battalion on the attack enabled them to get help to the convoy and medical evacuation for the wounded Soldiers.
For their actions that night, White was awarded a Bronze Star Medal with Valor and a Purple Heart. Johnson and Stovall were awarded an Army Commendation Medal with Valor; and Dupuis was awarded an Army Achievement Medal.
Although many may consider these four men heroes for their actions that night, it is a term they quietly reject. They simply think of themselves as Soldiers who performed their duties.
"We got an award for doing our job. These guys would have done it for me. Any of these guys would have done it for anybody," Johnson said.
Dupuis, Johnson, Stovall and White received the awards, but they recognize that the efforts of other Soldiers such as Spc. Clayton Barnfield and Sgt. Larry Scott, who pulled security, and Sgt. Cherlanda Auzenne, who ran down the convoy to gather medical supplies, also contributed to the wounded Soldiers being saved.
"Those two men were hurt ... and they acted without hesitation," said White.
Even though the Soldiers accepted the awards, they wished the incident for which they received them had never occurred.
"It's a lot to deal with. Our biggest satisfaction out of that whole mess out there was those two men made it home to their families," White said.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2008 10:51 |
| Story ID: | 18733 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 198 |
| Downloads: | 97 |
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