Courtesy Photo | Sgt. Maj. Scott Bassett of Saint Paul, Ind., is presented with the Combat Action Badge...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan — Soldiers from the 1-19th Agribusiness Development Team, Indiana National Guard, were awarded a Combat Action Badge July 4 at Forward Operating Base Salerno in the Khost Province of eastern Afghanistan in recognition of engagements by the enemy via improvised explosive devices in May and June 2009.
In May, Soldiers from the ADT were returning from a two-day combat mission when the lead truck was struck by a command-detonated IED. The Soldiers reacted and responded as they had been trained to do. After the initial engagement, a secondary trip-wire IED was discovered by the team. This initiated a 20-hour period where the ADT patrol secured the area waiting for Explosive Ordnance Disposal to evaluate the site, and then for a maintenance company to recover the damaged truck.
In June, Soldiers from the ADT encountered and detonated another tripwire IED during a mounted combat patrol. This incident involved a home-made tripwire activating device designed by the ADT that was mounted as an extension of an existing mine-roller. The IED resulted in no injuries to personnel and no damage to the vehicle.
Six soldiers from Indiana received a CAB including Cpt. Robert Cline of Heltonville, Sgt. Maj. Scott Bassett of Saint Paul, Sgt. 1st Class Mark Frettinger of Rochester, Sgt. 1st Class Jason Jacobs of Covington, Sgt. 1st Class Lance Murphy of Marengo, and Staff Sgt. Scott Runyan of Martinsville.
The Soldiers reacted as trained professionals deliberately and methodically executing the critical tasks necessary to assess the situation and respond appropriately.
"My superb non-commissioned officers confidently and calmly responded to the incident, securing the immediate area, assessing potential injuries, and interrogating the site for additional threats," said Col. Brian Copes, commander of the ADT. "My agricultural experts and senior staff on this mission immediately assumed their secondary, and often more critical role, as augmented security and first responders. Everyone fights, no one is a passenger. Every Soldier knows that is my expectation for them, regardless of rank and specialty. I could not be more proud of my Soldiers."
"Combat is long stretches of just doing your job, with short, intense, periods of activity. It is during these intense periods that the years of training of the Soldiers in the unit takes over to keep everyone safe," said Cpt. Robert Cline. The Soldiers are seven months into a 12 month mobilization in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and will continue working until the job is done.
"The greatest strength of the United States Army is that we train all Soldiers to be professionals," said Sgt. Maj. Scott Bassett, Agricultural Team Sergeant Major, "The actions of the Soldiers in both missions showed that they are professionals in every sense of the word."
| Date Taken: | 07.09.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 07.09.2009 15:08 |
| Story ID: | 36173 |
| Location: | KHOST, AF |
| Web Views: | 476 |
| Downloads: | 327 |
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