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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/army_2silverstars_080130/
2 Lewis soldiers awarded Silver Stars
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 30, 2008 18:44:13 EST
Two soldiers received the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest award for valor, during a ceremony Wednesday at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Sgt. 1st Class Ismael Iban and Staff Sgt. Jon Hilliard belong to the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. The soldiers returned from Iraq in September.
Iban, a platoon sergeant in 3rd Platoon, C Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, will be recognized for his actions from Feb. 19, 2007.
On that day, the Tarmiya Joint Security Station near Taji, Iraq, was destroyed by a suicide car bomber, according to the narrative that accompanies the award. Iban and his platoon were on patrol about six miles away when they were called to assist at the JSS.
Iban ordered his platoon to respond, and as the soldiers entered the outskirts of Tarmiya, they immediately were attacked by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades from nearby alleys and rooftops, according to the narrative. The soldiers pressed on, and as they approached the badly damaged JSS, they saw that it was engulfed in flames and smoke. A huge pile of debris from the explosion blocked the road, so Iban and four of his soldiers got out of their Stryker and moved more than 250 feet while under constant enemy fire to get to the JSS.
When they arrived, Iban established command and control, and he and his men began to prepare for the medical evacuation of 21 wounded American soldiers. While those inside the JSS continued to work, the rest of the platoon worked under enemy fire to clear a path in the road so that they could create a defensive perimeter.
Iban eventually loaded the more seriously wounded soldiers into his Stryker and began moving them to the nearest helicopter landing zone. When they arrived at the landing zone, the soldiers were hit by a complex attack. The enemy fired seven RPGs and multiple machine guns from nearby buildings and a wood line about 985 feet away. Iban ordered his men to establish a perimeter and engage the enemy while he dismounted his Stryker and provided additional suppressive fire as four medevac helicopters approached the landing zone, according to the narrative. Moving under intense fire, the litter teams ran about 330 feet from behind the cover of the Strykers into the open area to load nine critically wounded soldiers onto the helicopters. Enemy rounds impacted within feet of the soldiers.
Iban and his soldiers repeated their actions until all 21 wounded soldiers were safely on the helicopters.
“SFC Iban’s steadfast leadership and dauntless presence was instrumental in leading his 12-man platoon to overcome incredible odds presented by the enemy,” according to the narrative. “With absolute decisiveness, calmness under pressure and personal courage, SFC Iban’s performance on 19 February 2007 directly contributed to saving his fellow soldiers’ lives in Tarmiya, Iraq.”
On March 24, 2007, Hilliard and his soldiers from 3rd Platoon, B Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, were traveling to a clearance operation in a volatile neighborhood in Baqubah when their Stryker was hit by a buried improvised explosive device.
The explosion set the back of the Stryker on fire, disabled the vehicle and wounded seven soldiers.
Hilliard, who was riding in the rear right air guard hatch, was ejected onto the top of the vehicle and he suffered multiple injuries to his left leg, according to the narrative accompanying his award.
However, Hilliard, a squad leader, immediately focused on his soldiers. He looked down and saw the ramp door was blown off and smoke had filled the troop compartment. As other soldiers arrived to help, they came under “sustained volleys of accurate and deadly” machine gun fire, according to the narrative. The explosion had left Hilliard without his weapon, but as he got ready to climb off the Stryker, he saw a M240B machine gun tangled in the sniper camouflage netting. Hilliard used his knife to cut the weapon loose and grabbed the nearest box of ammunition.
“Single handedly, he exposed himself on top of the burning Stryker while under accurate machine gun fire for approximately three minutes while the platoon maneuvered to establish a defensive position for the [casualty evacuation],” according to the narrative.
Hilliard suppressed multiple enemy machine gun positions and provided covering fire while the wounded soldiers were evacuated.
After the platoon established a defensive perimeter, Hilliard climbed off the Stryker to gain control of what was left of his squad and retrieve his weapon, which had blown off the vehicle in the blast. After he fired his M203 at two more enemy positions, he realized the M204B he had been using was now with 1st Platoon.
Hilliard ran 165 feet across an open area to retrieve the machine gun, coming under small-arms fire and an RPG. When he got the machine gun, Hilliard tried to return to his platoon, but he collapsed from his wounds and was no longer able to walk. He was medically evacuated to Forward Operation Base Warhorse for his injuries.
“SSG Hilliard’s bravery in the face of fire, tireless efforts and selfless service were instrumental in the successful recovery and evacuation of men, weapons and equipment, as well as the destruction of numerous [anti-Iraqi forces],” according to the narrative. “His actions and his demeanor were truly inspirational to those present throughout these actions.”
2 Lewis soldiers awarded Silver Stars
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 30, 2008 18:44:13 EST
Two soldiers received the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest award for valor, during a ceremony Wednesday at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Sgt. 1st Class Ismael Iban and Staff Sgt. Jon Hilliard belong to the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. The soldiers returned from Iraq in September.
Iban, a platoon sergeant in 3rd Platoon, C Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, will be recognized for his actions from Feb. 19, 2007.
On that day, the Tarmiya Joint Security Station near Taji, Iraq, was destroyed by a suicide car bomber, according to the narrative that accompanies the award. Iban and his platoon were on patrol about six miles away when they were called to assist at the JSS.
Iban ordered his platoon to respond, and as the soldiers entered the outskirts of Tarmiya, they immediately were attacked by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades from nearby alleys and rooftops, according to the narrative. The soldiers pressed on, and as they approached the badly damaged JSS, they saw that it was engulfed in flames and smoke. A huge pile of debris from the explosion blocked the road, so Iban and four of his soldiers got out of their Stryker and moved more than 250 feet while under constant enemy fire to get to the JSS.
When they arrived, Iban established command and control, and he and his men began to prepare for the medical evacuation of 21 wounded American soldiers. While those inside the JSS continued to work, the rest of the platoon worked under enemy fire to clear a path in the road so that they could create a defensive perimeter.
Iban eventually loaded the more seriously wounded soldiers into his Stryker and began moving them to the nearest helicopter landing zone. When they arrived at the landing zone, the soldiers were hit by a complex attack. The enemy fired seven RPGs and multiple machine guns from nearby buildings and a wood line about 985 feet away. Iban ordered his men to establish a perimeter and engage the enemy while he dismounted his Stryker and provided additional suppressive fire as four medevac helicopters approached the landing zone, according to the narrative. Moving under intense fire, the litter teams ran about 330 feet from behind the cover of the Strykers into the open area to load nine critically wounded soldiers onto the helicopters. Enemy rounds impacted within feet of the soldiers.
Iban and his soldiers repeated their actions until all 21 wounded soldiers were safely on the helicopters.
“SFC Iban’s steadfast leadership and dauntless presence was instrumental in leading his 12-man platoon to overcome incredible odds presented by the enemy,” according to the narrative. “With absolute decisiveness, calmness under pressure and personal courage, SFC Iban’s performance on 19 February 2007 directly contributed to saving his fellow soldiers’ lives in Tarmiya, Iraq.”
On March 24, 2007, Hilliard and his soldiers from 3rd Platoon, B Company, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, were traveling to a clearance operation in a volatile neighborhood in Baqubah when their Stryker was hit by a buried improvised explosive device.
The explosion set the back of the Stryker on fire, disabled the vehicle and wounded seven soldiers.
Hilliard, who was riding in the rear right air guard hatch, was ejected onto the top of the vehicle and he suffered multiple injuries to his left leg, according to the narrative accompanying his award.
However, Hilliard, a squad leader, immediately focused on his soldiers. He looked down and saw the ramp door was blown off and smoke had filled the troop compartment. As other soldiers arrived to help, they came under “sustained volleys of accurate and deadly” machine gun fire, according to the narrative. The explosion had left Hilliard without his weapon, but as he got ready to climb off the Stryker, he saw a M240B machine gun tangled in the sniper camouflage netting. Hilliard used his knife to cut the weapon loose and grabbed the nearest box of ammunition.
“Single handedly, he exposed himself on top of the burning Stryker while under accurate machine gun fire for approximately three minutes while the platoon maneuvered to establish a defensive position for the [casualty evacuation],” according to the narrative.
Hilliard suppressed multiple enemy machine gun positions and provided covering fire while the wounded soldiers were evacuated.
After the platoon established a defensive perimeter, Hilliard climbed off the Stryker to gain control of what was left of his squad and retrieve his weapon, which had blown off the vehicle in the blast. After he fired his M203 at two more enemy positions, he realized the M204B he had been using was now with 1st Platoon.
Hilliard ran 165 feet across an open area to retrieve the machine gun, coming under small-arms fire and an RPG. When he got the machine gun, Hilliard tried to return to his platoon, but he collapsed from his wounds and was no longer able to walk. He was medically evacuated to Forward Operation Base Warhorse for his injuries.
“SSG Hilliard’s bravery in the face of fire, tireless efforts and selfless service were instrumental in the successful recovery and evacuation of men, weapons and equipment, as well as the destruction of numerous [anti-Iraqi forces],” according to the narrative. “His actions and his demeanor were truly inspirational to those present throughout these actions.”
