The Cool Blue Blog

Sergeant First Class Jared Monti

The United States Army has a long history of great soldiers, noncommissioned officers, and leaders.  Sergeant First Class Jared Monti was amongst those ranks. He was an outstanding leader who constantly motivated his soldiers and ensured that his unit was always ready to fight and win.

Monti enlisted in the U. S. Army in March 1993.  In February 2006, he was deployed to Afghanistan with Task Force Spartan and was assigned as a forward observer with the 3rd squadron, 71st Cavalry, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).  His career culminated with this task force while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan and helping his fellow soldiers.

On June 21, 2006, Monti, then a staff sergeant, was the assistant patrol leader for a 16-man patrol tasked to conduct surveillance in the Gowardesh region. The patrol was to provide intelligence and interdict enemy movement as the squadron’s main effort moved into the province.  As nightfall approached, the patrol was attacked by a well-organized enemy force of at least 60 personnel.

Outnumbered four-to-one, Monti’s patrol was in serious danger of being overrun. The enemy fighters had established two support-by-fire positions directly above the patrol in a densely wooded ridgeline.  Monti immediately returned fire and ordered the patrol to seek cover and return fire.  He then reached for his radio headset and calmly initiated calls for indirect fire and close air support, both danger-close to the patrol’s position.

He did this while simultaneously directing the patrol’s fires.

When Monti realized that a member of the patrol, Private First Class Brian J. Bradbury, was critically wounded and exposed 10 meters from cover, without regard for his personal safety, he advanced through enemy fire to within three feet of Bradbury’s position.  But he was forced back by intense rocket propelled grenade fire.  He tried again to secure Bradbury, but he was forced to stay in place again as the enemy intensified its fires.  The remaining patrol members coordinated covering fires for Monti, and he advanced a third time toward the wounded soldier.  But he only took a few steps this time before he was mortally wounded by an RPG. About the same time, the indirect fires and close air support that he called for began raining down on the enemy’s position. The firepower broke the enemy attack, killing 22 enemy fighters.

Monti’s actions prevented the patrol’s position from being overrun, saved his team’s lives and inspired his men to fight on against overwhelming odds.

Monti epitomizes what it means to be a noncommissioned officer.  Because of his personal sacrifice and selfless service to the Army, the men of his patrol are alive today and continue the fight.

He was promoted to Sergeant First Class and received the Medal of Honor, both posthumously, for his heroic actions in combat in Afghanistan.  His parents and family members attended a White House ceremony on September 17. 

“The ceremony was bittersweet,” said Paul Monti, Jared’s father.  “I’m reliving all of this all over again.  I’d much rather have him than any medal.”

In honor of his actions, there is now a Combat Outpost Monti in Afghanistan.  A new Fort Sill Call for Fire Training Center will also bear Monti’s name.  The “Monti Call for Fire Training Facility” will be used to train future joint fire observers.  Fort Sill, Okla., is where Monti received his basic training.

Monti is the sixth service member to receive the Medal of Honor during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the first soldier to receive the nation’s highest medal for valor in Afghanistan.  Navy LT Michael Murphy is the only other service member to receive the award for actions in Afghanistan.

Monti, a graduate of Bridgewater-Raynham High School, displayed immeasurable courage and uncommon valor - eventually sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his comrade.

A scholarship in his honor will be awarded annually to a local Raynham student through a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, the Jared C. Monti Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc.

Excerpts of the article are from the Fort Sill Fires Bulletin, March – April 2009 edition, sil-www.army.mil/firesbulletin

The Human Terrain System and Michael Bhatia

The US Department of Defense defines the Human Terrain System as follows:

HTS is a new proof-of-concept program, run by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and serving the joint community. The near-term focus of the HTS program is to improve the military’s ability to understand the highly complex local socio-cultural environment in the areas where they are deployed; however, in the long-term, HTS hopes to assist the US government in understanding foreign countries and regions prior to an engagement within that region.

• HTS was developed in response to identified gaps in commanders’ and staffs’ understanding of the local population and culture, and its impact on operational decisions; and poor transfer of specific socio-cultural knowledge to follow-on units.
• The HTS approach is to place the expertise and experience of social scientists and regional experts, coupled with reach-back, open-source research, directly in support of deployed units engaging in full-spectrum operations.
• HTS informs decision making at the tactical, operational and strategic levels.
• The HTS program is the first time that social science research and advising has been done systematically, on a large scale, and at the brigade level.

I have in the past highlighted Tracy, an applied cultural anthropologist who became part of the program embedded with the 82nd Airborne.

I have also dwelled on the American Anthropology Association's opposition to the program which makes it professionally risky for anthropologists to join up.

Another brave sole who decided to join up is Michael Bhatia "a 31-year-old scholar in international relations from Brown University."

Bhatia was joining the Human Terrain System, a Pentagon experiment to re-engineer battle against Afghan and Iraqi insurgents by teaming soldiers and scholars. Human Terrain set off a war of its own in academia: Critics, particularly anthropologists, argued that researchers risked betraying the people they studied by feeding information to the military.

Bhatia disagreed. But the only way to know, he told friends, was to see for himself.

And that he did. But through his work saved American and Afghani lives by allowing commanders to understand the dynamics of the cultural mileiu in which they found themselves while the intellectuals at home continued to criticize the work of the HTS

Critics were not letting up in their condemnation of the Human Terrain project. The team kept score, posting what they considered the most outrageously off-base characterizations of their work.

"Mercenary anthropologists," one critic called them. "The Army's new secret weapon," another said.

Ridenour, Bhatia and the others read them aloud with frustration and laughter.

"Our school of thought was 'come work with us for a week,' " Ridenour said. "If you really think I'm a mercenary, come see what we do."

Still, Bhatia bridled at the criticism. Before leaving, he¡¯d told his family and friends of his irritation with academics who claimed to know a country, without ever leaving the capital city.

In the end, Michael paid the ultimate price for his convictions.

Sabari District lies less than 10 miles from FOB Salerno. But by Humvee, the journey took Bhatia and Garcia four hours, rumbling over the rough tracks that pass for roads and into volatile territory.

Less than two months earlier, insurgents had detonated a vehicle packed with explosives in Sabari's district center, killing two U.S. soldiers. This was to be Bhatia and Garcia's first stop.

The other team members remained on base. By Tuesday night, May 6, Bhatia and Garcia had reached Zambar, a distant village built of mud bricks, and met with a group of about 20 tribal elders.

"Michael was very psyched," Cusick said. Bhatia and Garcia were unearthing details of a long dispute between tribes over which had rights to the timber covering a nearby mountainside.

The following morning, the last full day of the mission, they joined a patrol of 17 soldiers in four up-armored Humvees. Garcia had been traveling in the lead Humvee, together with the convoy commander. But the lieutenant called Garcia over. Could Bhatia ride up front today?

The convoy set out for a bazaar called Makhtab, less than two miles east.

The vehicles threaded down a hard, chalky river bed. Makhtab came into sight and the patrol swung out of the river bed to enter by a rear portal.

The day was hot, the Humvee¡¯s engine emitted a numbing drone, and Garcia was feeling drowsy.

A deafening thump jolted him wide awake. Air shot down the Humvee's turret.

Garcia squinted into a cloud of smoke.

Soldiers spilled from their vehicles. Garcia grabbed his M-4 and bolted into the smoke.

As he ran, the settling dust revealed Bhatia's Humvee, spun around 90 degrees by the bomb's force, its doors blown off.

The body of Spc. Jeremy Gullet, a 22-year-old father from Greenup, Ky., lay in the dirt, well clear of the wreckage. Staff Sgt. Kevin Roberts, 25, of Farmington, N.M. lay dead nearby.

"I've got to find my brother," Garcia said.

When he reached Bhatia, the academic's bearded face was frozen in a smile.

Garcia crouched beside his friend and colleague as rain began to fall.

He placed his palm over the dead man's still-open eyes and smoothed the lids closed, then brushed the dirt off Bhatia's uniform.

"It should've been me," the veteran soldier told the scholar. "I'm going to take you home."

If understanding is as important as warrior skills, then programs like the HTS and the anthropologists and sociologists they employ is the only way to thread that needle.

And we have to thank the men an women who have the intellectual integrity to put it all on the line to use their expertise to bring that level of awareness to an active battlefield for the benefit of our soldiers and the cilvilians who, without them, could get caught in the crossfire.

Michael Bhatia is as much an american hero as any of the soldiers whith which he embeds.

Capt. Brent Morel

Faced with continual enemy fire from more than 50 insurgents, Capt. Brent L. Morel - by all accounts a "Marine's Marine" - led an assault across an open field with a handful of Marines following closely behind.

Where most would be looking for cover, Morel's assault was aimed at saving others - not himself - according to battlefield accounts.

Consequently, Morel, a platoon commander with 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, posthumously received the Navy Cross - the Department of the Navy's second-highest award for combat valor May 21, 2005, during a ceremony that drew hundreds at the Marine Forces Reserve Training Center.

It was the second Navy Cross awarded in less than two months to a 1st Recon Bn. Marine for combat actions April 7, 2004, during the first offensive in Fallujah as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The two awards are among nine Navy Crosses awarded to U.S. servicemembers for heroism during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Morel's award was presented to his wife, Amy. "Although I would rather have him receive the award in person, I am glad to see that his brave actions did not go unnoticed," Amy said, clutching the medal in her hand.

Sgt. Willie L. Copeland III and several other Marines who fought alongside Morel that day were on hand for the presentation.

"That was the type of Marine Morel was - he led from the front," said Copeland, a team leader with 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Recon Bn, which Morel commanded. "He was a personal mentor of mine, so I was constantly trying to obtain knowledge from him any way I could."

Morel's self-sacrifice came as no surprise, Copeland said.
"No medal or award can make up for the loss of a good Marine, but as a recon Marine, (Morel) knew that his life was on the line every day - and he was always proud of it," Copeland added.

Although Morel, 27, of Martin, Tenn., had been in the recon community for only a short amount of time, he made his mark among an elite crowd, Copeland said.

The award honored a "man amongst giants," said Mike Morel, Brent's father.

Also during the ceremony -- held at Morel's very first unit after completing boot camp--- a life-like bronze bust of Morel in his helmet and protective vest was unveiled.

"The statue looked so real, right down to the scar he got while he was in boot camp," said Molly Morel, Brent's mother.

The statue will be placed in the library at Morel's alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Martin.

"The library is where me and my husband met, so it is only fitting that his statue be kept there to inspire those who pass it by," Amy said.

Excerpts from article by Lance Cpl. Miguel A. Carrasco Jr.,
MCB Camp Pendleton, May 21, 2005

Citation:
For extraordinary heroism as Platoon Commander, 2d Platoon, Company B, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Central Command in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 7 April 2004. Captain Morel's platoon escorted a convoy into the Al Anbar Province when 40 to 60 insurgents in well-fortified and concealed positions initiated an ambush. Witnessing a rocket-propelled grenade crippling his lead vehicle and while mortar and machine gun fire erupted, he ordered his remaining two vehicles to secure a flanking position. Captain Morel left his vehicle and led a determined assault across an open field and up a 10-foot berm, in order to maneuver into firing positions. The boldness of this first assault eliminated several insurgents at close range forcing their retreat. Observing his Marines pinned down from enemy fire, Captain Morel left the safety of his position and continued the assault, eliminating the enemy's attack. During this valiant act, he fell mortally wounded by a withering burst of enemy automatic weapons fire. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Captain Morel reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Sgt. 1st Class Pedro A. Munoz

Family accepts Soldier's Silver Star

By  Pfc. Benjamin Watson, 49th PAD (Abn.)

FORT BRAGG, N.C.(USASOC News Service, Sept. 10, 2008) – The widow of a Special Forces Soldier with the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), accepted her fallen husband’s Silver Star Medal during a ceremony Sept. 9 near the unit’s headquarters.
 
Gisela and Dalia Munoz, surviving wife and daughter of Sgt. 1st Class Pedro A. Munoz, participated in the ceremony honoring his sacrifice on Jan. 2, 2005, when he was fatally wounded at Shindand, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Munoz was previously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor device; however, the award was recently upgraded to the Silver Star. The ceremony recognizing the upgrade was held in a commemorative rock garden designed by his daughter.
 
While clearing a compound in pursuit of a mid-level Taliban commander, a Taliban fighter opened fire from inside a room containing women and children, said Col. Mark J. Gorton, deputy commander of 7th SFG(A). Although he was wounded, Munoz returned fire and killed the Taliban fighter, enabling those in his detachment to proceed in clearing the building.
 
“Sergeant First Class Munoz continued to support his detachment,” Gorton said, “firing selectively, engaging only armed combatants without harming any non-combatants. His dedication and his courage are evident through his actions: protecting innocent life, staying in the fight without thought for himself while supporting his teammates—allowing them to successfully accomplish their mission.”
 
Munoz entered the Army in February 1986 as an automated logistical specialist. He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1990 and was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne). Soon after assignment, he deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He later deployed to Haiti for seven months in 1994 in support of Operation Uphold Democracy.
 
In 1999, he was assigned to the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights. After completing over 300 static-line and 4,000 free-fall parachute jumps, Munoz returned to the Special Forces community in 2002, serving with the 7th SFG(A).
 
“You look at a picture of Munoz,” said Lt. Gen. Robert W. Wagner, commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, “and you see a 47-year-old senior Soldier who has served our nation with extraordinary honor, distinction, pride and accomplishment. I suspect that some of the things that he’s most proud of are his wife and his daughter, two incredible people who have served our nation.” 
 
Over the course of his career as a Soldier, Munoz received the Silver Star Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge with 2nd Award Star, the Special Forces Tab, the Master Parachutist Badge and the Master Military Free Fall Badge.

Navy Seal Master-At-Arms Second Class Michael Monsoor

Remarks by President Bush at Michael Monsoor's Medal of Honor Ceremony:

The newly minted frogman became a beloved member of the SEAL team community.  His teammates liked to laugh about the way his shiny Corvette would leave everybody in the dust.  But deep down, they always knew Mike would never leave anybody behind when it counted.  He earned their confidence with his attention to detail and quiet work ethic.  One of Mike's officers remembers an instructor once asking after an intense training session, "What's the deal with the Monsoor guy?  He just says, 'Roger that,' to everything."

When Mike deployed with his team to Ramadi in the spring of 2006, he brought that attitude with him.  Because he served as both a heavy machine gunner and a communications operator, he often had a double load of equipment -- sometimes more than a hundred pounds worth.  But under the glare of the hot desert sun, he never lost his cool.

At the time, Ramadi was in the clutches of al Qaeda terrorists and insurgents.  Together, the SEALs and the Army 1st Battalion of the 506 Infantry Regiment took the offense against the enemy.  The SEALs carried out a broad range of special operations -- including providing sniper cover in tough urban conditions, and conducting raids against terrorists and insurgents.  Overall, Mike's platoon came under enemy attack during 75 percent of their missions.  And in most of these engagements, Mike was out front defending his brothers.

In May 2006, Mike and another SEAL ran into the line of fire to save a wounded teammate.  With bullets flying all around them, Mike returned fire with one hand while helping pull the injured man to safety with the other. In a dream about the incident months later, the wounded SEAL envisioned Mike coming to the rescue with wings on his shoulders.

On Saint Michael's Day -- September 29, 2006 -- Michael Monsoor would make the ultimate sacrifice.  Mike and two teammates had taken position on the outcropping of a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike's chest and landed on the roof.  Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not.  In that terrible moment, he had two options -- to save himself, or to save his friends.  For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body. One of the survivors puts it this way: "Mikey looked death in the face that day and said, 'You cannot take my brothers.  I will go in their stead.'"

The Citation reads

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as automatic weapons gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.

As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army Sniper Overwatch Element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element’s position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy’s initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor’s chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates.  Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Sgt. James Witkowski

In the early morning hours of October 26, 2005, Sgt. Witkowski and 100 soldiers were traveling in a supply convoy from Camp Anaconda near Balad, Iraq, to a forward operating base northeast of Kirkuk. As the line of vehicles slowly maneuvered down a four–lane highway, suddenly, several improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonated as the soldiers were passing through a small village. Before the dust settled, insurgents hiding behind a sand berm poured down a rain of fire, using small arms and rocket propelled grenades.                      

As the convoy struggled to make it through the mile-long ambush, Witkowski, who was manning the gun in the turret of a Humvee, kept firing on the attackers. As Witkowski continued firing, he noticed that a grenade had suddenly landed inside his turret. Witkowski had a split second to make a decision: jump out of the vehicle, endangering his unknowing comrades, or shelter the grenade’s terrible explosion. For Witkowski, the choice was simple. Shouting for his fellow soldiers to get down, he covered the grenade with his body, shielding the other soldiers from the blast. Witkowski took the full brunt of the detonation, saving the lives of the three soldiers in the Humvee. Despite being hit with shrapnel, the driver and two other soldiers continued through the ambush, arriving at their destination with only minor injuries.

                     

Thanks to the sacrifice and heroism of Sergeant James Witkowski, all of the soldiers in his Humvee survived the attack that day. For his actions, Witkowski was posthumously awarded the Silver Star on November 21st, 2005.

Army Pfc. Adam J. Muller

Army Pfc. Adam J. Muller 21, of Underhill, Vt.; assigned to the 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.; died Nov. 5, in Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his Humvee during combat operations. Also killed were Staff Sgt. Carletta S. Davis, Staff Sgt. John D. Linde and Sgt. Derek T. Stenroos.

Vermont GI killed in Iraq

By Wilson Ring
The Associated Press

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A 21-year-old Vermont GI was killed in Iraq when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle, his family said Nov. 6.

Army Pvt. Adam Muller, of Richmond, a gunner for the 10th Mountain Division who arrived in Iraq just after Labor Day, was killed Nov. 5, according to Susan Wells, a family friend who spoke for Muller’s mother, Kathy.

“He was loved by everyone,” said Wells, whose son was best friends with Muller. “He was a very sweet young man. We’re all devastated and angry at the same time. I think we’re all angry about this war, that so many young men are dying needlessly.”

When Muller signed up in 2006 — to make money to pay off college loans — he was told he’d be providing security for top officials, but he was told two weeks before he shipped out that he’d be a gunner, Wells said.

“We were all very angry about that. He isn’t anyone who could ever hurt a flea,” Wells said Nov. 6. “To put him behind a gun was the last thing he needed.”

By midday Nov. 6, Muller’s death had not yet been announced by the Department of Defense.

But a portion of the 10th Mountain Division was serving in northern Iraq, near the city of Kirkuk, said Benjamin Abel, a civilian spokesman for the division, based at Fort Drum, N.Y.

The military said four soldiers died Nov. 5 after an explosion near their vehicle in Kirkuk province. Another American serviceman died Nov. 5 in Anbar province.

Abel wouldn’t comment about the concerns of Muller’s family. “It would be inappropriate for anyone here in the States to comment on the judgment of a commander in the field,” said Abel.

In a statement, Gov. Jim Douglas said the thoughts and prayers of all Vermonters were with the Muller family. “Our state has paid a heavy toll in this war and we all pray it will soon end,” Douglas said.

Muller was the 25th service member with Vermont ties to die in Iraq. One Vermonter was killed in Afghanistan; another died in natural causes in Kuwait while waiting to go to Iraq.

Muller graduated from Mount Mansfield Union High School in 2004. He studied at Vermont Technical College to become a mechanic and dreamed of becoming a police officer.

“He went into the Army to pay off his college loans,” Wells said. “It’s really a crying shame that in the wealthiest country in the world, people have to go into the army to pay for college.”

Muller had been married for almost a year. Until he left for Iraq, he and his wife were living at Fort Drum. Since then, she has been living with her parents in Richmond, Wells said.

Army private killed in Iraq is laid to rest in Richmond

The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Vt. — With poetry, song and personal remembrances, the family and friends of an Army private killed in Iraq paid tribute to him Nov. 15 in the same church where he was married less than a year ago.

More than 300 mourners packed Richmond Congregational Church to say goodbye to Pvt. Adam Muller, 21, a gunner with the 10th Mountain Division who died Nov. 5 when a roadside bomb blew up near the vehicle he was traveling in, near Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq.

Three other members of the Fort Drum, N.Y.,-based unit were also killed.

Muller, the 25th service member with Vermont ties to die in Iraq, was a Mount Mansfield Union High School graduate who studied at Vermont Technical College and aspired to a career in law enforcement.

He was told by the Army two weeks before he shipped out that he’d be a gunner. When he signed up in 2006, he was told he would be providing security for top officials, according to a family friend.

Eight poster boards containing photographs of him — from his childhood through to his Army service — were placed in the front of the church, four on each side of the container holding his ashes. A framed color picture of him sat on the podium.

We honor his service and his life on Memorial Day and always.

Lt. Michael Murphy

Lt. Michael Murphy entered the dangerous mountain range of Hindu Kush between Afghanistan and Pakistan with his three fellow U.S. Navy SEALs in search of Ahmad Shah, a known terrorist. Murphy and his comrades were given up to the Taliban by local nationals, which resulted in the worst single-day U.S. Forces death toll day since Operation Enduring Freedom began. The SEALs were severely outnumbered in rough mountain terrain that did not allow radio contact with their base. Gunner’s mate 2nd Class, Danny Dietz was wounded while trying to transmit a call for help to Begram Air Base.

Lt. Murphy risked his own life by leaving cover and exposing himself to enemy fire to call for help for his men. While trying to contact his reinforcements, Murphy was shot in the back, but he continued, picked the transmitter back up and completed his call. This phone call led to the eventual rescue of fellow SEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell 10 days later.

Lt. Murphy made his way back to his unit, severely wounded, and continued to fight alongside his comrades. The fighting continued for two hours leaving three out of the four SEALs mortally wounded. Three of the Navy SEALs, including Lt. Murphy, as well as the rescue Chinook helicopter that responded to Murphy’s call carrying sixteen men, all died fighting the Taliban in one of the most dangerous places in the world.

Luttrell was severely wounded but traveled seven miles on foot to a nearby village where the villagers took him in and refused to give him up to the Taliban. One villager reported Luttrell’s location to a Marine outpost and U.S. forces launched a rescue mission on July 2 that brought him home.

Lt. Murphy’s selfless, heroic act was honored by President Bush on October 22, 2007, by presenting the Medal of Honor to Dan and Maureen Murphy, parents of Lt. Michael Murphy. This is the first Medal of Honor received by a Navy service member for actions in the Global War on Terror and the first Medal of Honor to be awarded for actions in Operation Enduring Freedom.

Official Medal of Honor Citation

FOR SERVICE AS SET FORTH IN THE FOLLOWING

            

CITATION:

            

FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY AS THE LEADER OF A SPECIAL RECONNAISSANCE ELEMENT WITH NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE TASK UNIT AFGHANISTAN ON 27 AND 28 JUNE 2005. WHILE LEADING A MISSION TO LOCATE A HIGH-LEVEL ANTI-COALITION MILITIA LEADER, LIEUTENANT MURPHY DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN THE FACE OF GRAVE DANGER IN THE VICINITY OF ASADABAD, KONAR PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN. ON 28 JUNE 2005, OPERATING IN AN EXTREMELY RUGGED ENEMY-CONTROLLED AREA, LIEUTENANT MURPHY’S TEAM WAS DISCOVERED BY ANTI-COALITION MILITIA SYMPATHIZERS, WHO REVEALED THEIR POSITION TO TALIBAN FIGHTERS. AS A RESULT, BETWEEN 30 AND 40 ENEMY FIGHTERS BESIEGED HIS FOUR-MEMBER TEAM. DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL RESOLVE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY VALIANTLY LED HIS MEN IN ENGAGING THE LARGE ENEMY FORCE. THE ENSUING FIERCE FIREFIGHT RESULTED IN NUMEROUS ENEMY CASUALTIES, AS WELL AS THE WOUNDING OF ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF THE TEAM. IGNORING HIS OWN WOUNDS AND DEMONSTRATING EXCEPTIONAL COMPOSURE, LIEUTENANT MURPHY CONTINUED TO LEAD AND ENCOURAGE HIS MEN. WHEN THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATOR FELL MORTALLY WOUNDED, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTED TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE FOR HIS BELEAGUERED TEAMMATES. REALIZING THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING IN THE EXTREME TERRAIN, AND IN THE FACE OF ALMOST CERTAIN DEATH, HE FOUGHT HIS WAY INTO OPEN TERRAIN TO GAIN A BETTER POSITION TO TRANSMIT A CALL. THIS DELIBERATE, HEROIC ACT DEPRIVED HIM OF COVER, EXPOSING HIM TO DIRECT ENEMY FIRE. FINALLY ACHIEVING CONTACT WITH HIS HEADQUARTERS, LIEUTENANT MURPHY MAINTAINED HIS EXPOSED POSITION WHILE HE PROVIDED HIS LOCATION AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE SUPPORT FOR HIS TEAM. IN HIS FINAL ACT OF BRAVERY, HE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY UNTIL HE WAS MORTALLY WOUNDED, GALLANTLY GIVING HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY AND FOR THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM. BY HIS SELFLESS LEADERSHIP, COURAGEOUS ACTIONS, AND EXTRAORDINARY DEVOTION TO DUTY, LIEUTENANT MURPHY REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
             
              SIGNED GEORGE W. BUSH

Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller

US Special Forces operator Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller was killed in Afghanistan Friday during a firefight where he was protecting his A-Team. Hundreds came to pay their last respects at  Bagram Airfield as his remains were loaded on a C-17 for the journey home to his loved ones.

The release stated that on Jan. 25 Miller was leading a team of Afghan security forces and other coalition soldiers during a combat reconnaissance patrol in Konar Province, near the Pakistan border when insurgents hiding in a structure attacked Miller’s team.

A fellow teammate called for close-air support to drop ordnance on the insurgent position, which momentarily disrupted the attack. But when the combined patrol moved toward the structure to check for any remaining enemy threats, the insurgents again fired using heavy weapons.

Miller’s team captain was seriously wounded within the first minutes of the attack, and while he was being moved to safety, Miller returned fire, remaining at the front of the patrol to lay down suppressive fire on several enemy positions.

Even while injured by direct enemy small arms and machine gun fire, Miller continued to fire his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and grenades to suppress enemy fire and protect his teammates, who gained cover and also returned fire.

Miller, who was one of eight brothers and sisters, enlisted as a Special Forces trainee on Aug. 14, 2003, according to the release.

He graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course on Sept. 26, 2004, and the Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Course Mar. 4, 2005.

During his last deployment to Afghanistan from August 2006 to March 2007, Miller received two Army Commendation Medals for Valor for his courage under fire, the Army release said.

Miller returned to Afghanistan for his second tour in October 2007, where he served as a weapons sergeant for his team.

God speed Sgt Miller and we are very grateful for your service.

Dietz Memorial

The Navy Cross citation for Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Danny Dietz reads as follows

For extraordinary heroism in actions against the enemy while serving in a four-man Special Reconnaissance element with SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE, Naval Special Warfare Task unit, Afghanistan from 27 to 28 June 2005. Petty Officer Dietz demonstrated extraordinary heroism in the face of grave danger in the vicinity of Asadabad, Konar Province, Afghanistan. Operating in the middle of an enemy-controlled area, in extremely rugged terrain, his Special Reconnaissance element was tasked with locating a high-level Anti-Coalition Militia leader, in support of a follow-on direct action mission to disrupt enemy activity. On 28 June 2005, the element was spotted by Anti-Coalition Militia sympathizers, who immediately revealed their position to the militia fighters. As a result, the element directly encountered the enemy. Demonstrating exceptional resolve and fully understanding the gravity of the situation and his responsibility to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz fought valiantly against the numerically superior and positionally advantaged enemy force. Remaining behind in a hailstorm of enemy fire, Petty Officer Dietz was wounded by enemy fire. Despite his injuries, he bravely fought on, valiantly defending his teammates and himself in a harrowing gunfight, until he was mortally wounded. By his undaunted courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and absolute devotion to his teammates, Petty Officer Dietz will long be remembered for the role he played in the Global War on Terrorism. Petty Officer Dietz' courageous and selfless heroism, exceptional professional skill, and utmost devotion to duty reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for the cause of freedom.

I've told you about him before. But on July 4th, his home town of Littleton Colorado dedicated a statue in his honor.

Some would have preferred this never happened, but to the credit of the people of Littleton, there it stands.

...Tiffany Bitz, sister of the fallen Navy Seal. Bitz spoke about how she and "DJ" had grown up in the neighborhood; attended Centennial Elementary and Goddard Junior Highand spent time in Berry Park. She said that she hoped that the sculpture of her brother would help the students who see it to better understand what it means to be a hero.

True enough.

Danny and the rest of the members of Operation Redwing have now had their heroic story told by Marcus Luttrell the only man to survive the mission. Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 also serves as a memorial to "the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history."