Woman soldier awarded Silver Star

Only the second female Soldier since World War II was awarded a Silver Star last March for her gallant actions during combat in Afghanistan last year.

Spc. Monica Brown, 19, a Lake Jackson, Texas, native was presented her Silver Star by Vice President Dick Cheney during a ceremony at Bagram Airfield.

It was dusk April 25, 2007, when Brown, a medic from the 782nd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, was on a routine security patrol along the rolling, rocky plains of Paktika's isolated Jani Khail District when her convoy was attacked by insurgents.

"We'd been out on the mission for a couple of days," said Brown, who at the time was attached to the brigade's 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment's Troop C. "We had just turned into a wadi when our gunner yelled at us that the vehicle behind us had hit an IED."

"I only saw the smoke from the vehicle when suddenly we started taking smallarms fire from all around us," she said. "Our gunner starting firing back and my platoon sergeant yelled, 'Doc! Let's go.'"

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Brown and her platoon sergeant, Staff Sgt. Jose Santos, exited their vehicle and, under fire, ran the few hundred meters to the downed Humvee. "Everyone was already out of the burning vehicle," she said. "But even before I got there, I could tell that two of them were injured very seriously" In fact, all five of the passengers were burned and cut. Two Soldiers, Spc. Stanson Smith and Spc. Larry Spray, suffered life-threatening injuries.

With help from two less-injured crewmen, Army Sgt. Zachary Tellier and Spc. Jack Bodani, Brown moved the immobile Soldiers to a relatively safe distance from the burning Humvee.

"Rounds were literally missing her by inches," said Bodani, who provided suppressive fire as Brown aided the casualties. "We needed to get away from there."

Attempting to provide proper medical care under the heavy fire became impossible, especially when the attackers stepped up efforts to kill the Soldiers.

"Another vehicle had just maneuvered to our position to shield us from the rounds now exploding in the fire from the Humvee behind us," Brown said, "Somewhere in the mix, we started taking mortar rounds. It became a huge commotion, but all I could let myself think about were my patients."

Suddenly, Santos arrived with one of the unit's vehicles backed it up to their position, and Brown began loading the wounded Soldiers.

After what seemed like an eternity, the attackers retreated and Brown was able to perform :more thorough aid procedures before the MEDEVAC helicopter finally arrived to transport the casualties to safety. Due to her quick and selfless actions, both Smith and Spray survived their injuries.--Spc. Micah E. Clare, 4th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office

COPYRIGHT 2008 Publishers' Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning