OT - Profiles of Valor - Christmas Day

[Ysabel Kid]

If it were not for men and women like these, we would not be free to celebrate the birth of our Saviour. God bless all the members of the United States armed services, past and present, regular, reserve and guard, serving domestically and overseas - and expecially those in harm's way this Christmas Day!

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Profiles of Valor: U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ashley Henderson Huff

In October, the Interior Ministry of the Kurdistan Regional Government honored a fallen American soldier with a statue at the opening of a police college in Erbil. U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ashley Henderson Huff of the 385th MP Battalion, based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, was honored for her work toward establishing the new academy, which will accommodate up to 650 people. Huff had worked on behalf of Coalition Forces with the Interior Ministry to build the police academy, but she was killed by a suicide car bomber in Mosul in 2006. Interior Minister Sinjari said, "First Lieutenant Ashley Henderson Huff was a woman of courage and determination. We are honored to have worked with her. Her family and colleagues should be proud of what she did for her country and for the people of Iraq in the liberation of our country. Her statue will act not only as a remembrance of her but will also inspire our police cadets to live up to her standards of commitment and professionalism."


Profiles of Valor: U.S. Army Sgt. James Brasher

United States Army Sgt. 1st Class James Brasher was serving as platoon sergeant for 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment in December 2007. His company was part of Operation Mar Kararadad, a mission to clear the Taliban stronghold of Musa Qal'eh, Afghanistan. On the night of 7 December, the company flew by helicopter to a point just outside the city and occupied a hill overlooking it. At dawn, the company began taking enemy fire from a town at the bottom of the hill, so they moved to clear the town. At one point, Sgt. Brasher killed an attacking jihadi before he could injure or kill any U.S. soldiers, and Brasher also took out an enemy position with a fragmentation grenade.

Brasher then led his men against other enemy positions as they systematically cleared the town. Repeatedly exposing himself to enemy fire, Brasher continued to lead the Americans in pursuit of retreating insurgents, killing several more. The Taliban consolidated behind a defensible compound, but Brasher kept fighting even after he was hit in the right forearm and bicep by an enemy round. In fact, the medics had to force him to take medical care. On 9 October 2008, Brasher was presented the Silver Star for "daring acts of intrepidity and gallantry in the face of a numerically superior and determined force," according to the citation. "SFC Brasher's fearless actions and dedication to mission accomplishment enabled Second Platoon to destroy over 20 well trained Taliban fighters. His quick decisions and aggressive stance against the enemy saved the lives of his men."


Profiles of Valor: 3rd Special Forces Group

On 6 April 2008, in the mountains of Afghanistan's Nuristan province, a battle erupted between a team of 12 Special Forces troops from Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, a few dozen Afghan allies and hundreds of jihadis. The soldiers had jumped from helicopters at daybreak onto a mountain covered in ice, attempting to gain the high ground on a terrorist stronghold in the Shok Valley. Their mission: To capture or kill members of the militant group Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG). But insurgents quickly took positions against the U.S. troops -- and the insurgents had the high ground. Staff Sgt. Luis Morales saw an insurgent and opened fire, killing him, but enemy fighters then began firing on U.S. and Afghan troops from practically every direction. Because there was only one way up the valley, the jihadis "were able to wait until we were in the most vulnerable position to initiate the ambush," said Staff Sgt. Seth Howard. Several soldiers were hit in the opening barrage, but they all fought back. "We were pretty much in the open, there were no trees to hide behind," said Morales, who helped pull Staff Sgt. Dillon Behr, shot in the hip, back to a safer position. Morales himself had been shot in the thigh and ankle.

For the next seven hours, the small contingent of U.S. and Afghan troops fought hard while pinned to the side of the mountain, and managed to get down the mountain without being overwhelmed only when Air Force jets bombarded the insurgent positions with 2,000-pound bombs. The soldiers who could walk carried those who couldn't, including Staff Sgt. John Wayne Walding, who was hit by a bullet that according to Master Sgt. Scott Ford, the team sergeant, "basically amputated his right leg right there on the battlefield."

A helicopter attempted to land and evacuate the soldiers, but took several rounds in the rotor and hovered just long enough for the medic to jump off. A second helicopter then landed in an icy stream nearby and collected the troops. Among the Americans and Afghans, there were 15 wounded and two killed, both Afghans, while 150 to 200 jihadis were killed. The Green Berets were nearly out of ammunition, too -- each one had two magazines left. Today, 10 of those soldiers from Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 of the 3rd Special Forces Group will receive the Silver Star for their heroism. It will be the highest such number given to elite troops for a single battle since the Vietnam War. (For more details of the battle, see The Washington Post's account.)

[Jaguarundi]

These Brave souls answered the Call to Duty,Honour and Country.Godbless that this generation can still produce such Heroic Warriors.Thanks for posting .

[gamekeeper]

Prayers up for Service men & women facing danger for our security.

The Royal Marine shot dead in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve has been named by the Ministry of Defence.
Marine killed on Christmas Eve named He was Lance Corporal Benjamin Whatley from King's Lynn, Norfolk.

The 20-year-old, from 42 Commando, died from enemy fire while on a mission in the Nad-e-Ali district near Lashkar Gah in Helmand province.

His family said in a statement: "Ben was a vibrant, happy person who had an unbridled enthusiasm for life. He was so proud to be a Royal Marine; his death creates an irreplaceable loss for all his family and friends."

Lance Corporal Whatley is the 136th British serviceman to die in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001. He is also the eleventh Royal Marine to have died in the past two months.

[Ysabel Kid]

John, prayers up for LC Whatley and his family. A reminder that many are serving on the front lines to keep us all free from Islamofascism...

[Jaguarundi]

John, prayers up for LC Whatley and his family. A reminder that many are serving on the front lines to keep us all free from Islamofascism...

+1 Amen!

[Tycer]

Bless you soldiers.

[DixieBoy]

Amen. Thanks for posting this. And God Bless these men and women. They are The Greatest Generation, right now. - DixieBoy

[jnyork]

A salute for all of them!!