Pendleton Marine awarded Silver Star

[darrels joy]

Maj. Daniel A. Strelkauskas of Charleston, S.C., today was awarded the Silver Star at a Camp Pendleton ceremony for his heroic actions while conducting combat operations in the Herat Province of Afghanistan.

Commanding general of the 1st Marine Division, Maj.Gen. Richard P. Mills, presents the Silver Star award to Maj. Daniel A. Strelkauskas during a ceremony at Camp Pendleton Wednesday.

KEVIN SULLIVAN, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER



The Silver Star is the third-highest medal awarded for gallantry in action against enemy forces.

In June 2008, Strelkauskas was on dismounted patrol in Afghanistan when his team came under heavy machine gun and sniper fire, according to his medal citation.

With fire coming from more than a dozen positions, he "ran deeper into the kill zone to drag a wounded Marine across open terrain to a covered position," the citation reads. He suffered multiple fragmentation wounds to his hands from rounds ricocheting near his position.

He ordered critical air support of 2000 pound bombs which provided suppression of the enemy to allow movement of casualties. After the evacuation, the citation reads, Strelkauskas coordinated follow up airstrikes that killed an estimated 40 among the enemy, including several mid-level Taliban leaders.

Strelkauskas was commissioned in May 1998, according to a 1st Marine Division news release.

He is currently the company commander of Force Reconnaissance Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

In 2008, Strelkauskas deployed to Afghanistan with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-A as a special reconnaissance team leader, the release said.

Strelkauskas' personal decorations include two Purple Hearts, Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and the NATO Medal, according to the news release.



http://www.ocregister.com/news/medal...as-marine.html