The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Active Duty > Active Duty Appreciation

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-10-2020, 11:25 AM
Boats's Avatar
Boats Boats is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sauk Village, IL
Posts: 21,783
Thumbs up 7th Special Forces Group awards valor medals to soldiers after tough Afghan deploymen

U.S. Army's 7th Special Forces Group awards valor medals to soldiers after tough Afghan deployment
By: Kyle Rempfer - Army Times - 01-10-20
Re: https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-...an-deployment/

Photo link: https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/R_...7JACPYXTGA.jpg
Green Berets were honored in an awards ceremony for valorous actions while supporting Operation Resolute Support. (7th Special Forces Group)

Florida-based Green Berets were awarded nearly 30 valor medals — as well as 21 Purple Hearts — Thursday for their actions in Afghanistan between September 2018 to February 2019.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group led a special operations task force in the country that earned Green Berets three Silver Stars, seven Bronze Stars with valor and 17 Army Commendation Medals with valor, said 1st Special Forces Command spokesman Maj. Dan Lessard.

Not included in the ceremony were members of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, who also participated in the same deployment and will receive awards at a separate ceremony at a later date, Lessard said.

“The deployment was aimed at trying to stabilize security in Afghanistan prior to the parliamentary elections that were happening,” he added.

An Army news release notes that the special operations task force helped prevent the Taliban from seriously threatening or capturing any provincial capital during the deployment.

While the Taliban are rarely able to hold onto dense urban areas for long periods of time, the militant group has long been able to contest and control rural areas, from where they launch periodic offenses. The month before 3rd Group began their deployment, the Taliban momentarily captured portions of Ghazni and Farah cities as part of the 2018 summer fighting season.

Col. Steven M. Marks, deputy commander of 1st Special Forces Command, presented awards during the ceremony. Marks was also present in Afghanistan during the six-month deployment.

“The valor we are recognizing today happened at the most tactical level — face to face fighting, close quarters combat, hand grenade range,” Marks said in the release.

“This is a reminder that even in the modern age, warfare is still about courage under fire, having the mental sharpness to operate with expertise in the worst of times and taking action to protect your brother, your team and your partners," he added.


Col. Steven M. Marks pins an award on a soldier from 7th Special Forces Group in recognition of valorous acts during their recent deployment under the Operation Resolute Support mission. (Spc. Jose Vargas/Army)
Col. Steven M. Marks pins an award on a soldier from 7th Special Forces Group in recognition of valorous acts during their recent deployment under the Operation Resolute Support mission. (Spc. Jose Vargas/Army)
Officials from 7th Group and 1st Special Forces Command declined to provide citations for the Silver Star awards to Army Times, stating that the documents would have to be first redacted through the Freedom of Information Act request process.

While 7th Group did not suffer any losses during this particular rotation, the company from 3rd Group did.

Two Green Berets, Capt. Andrew P. Ross and Sgt. 1st Class Eric M. Emond, as well as an infantryman providing support to their team, Sgt. Jason M. McClary, were killed by a roadside bomb in Ghazni province. An Special Tactics airman, Staff Sgt. Dylan Elchin, was also killed in the same attack. Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Beale, another 3rd Group Green Beret, was killed by small arms fire in Uruzgan province in the final month of the deployment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About this writer: Kyle Rempfer is a staff reporter for Military Times. He previously served an enlistment in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics. Kyle's reporting focuses on the Department of the Army.
__________________
Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.