Green Berets' Bravery Earns Silver Stars
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Vol. 75, No. 6 Feb. 10, 2017 Battle until dawn Green Berets’ bravery earns Silver Stars By Staff Sgt. Jorden M. Weir operation to target known 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Public enemy safe havens and Affairs Office disrupt refit operations of several high-level Taliban Three Green Berets with 10th Special leaders. Forces Group (Airborne) were formally Upon reaching the recognized for gallantry during a Silver infiltration area via heli- Star ceremony Feb. 1 at McMahon copters, the 59-member Photos by Sgt. Connor Mendez Auditorium. team of U.S. and Afghan Soldiers e h ihs, et, er the este rt issi res Gen. John W. Nicholson, Resolute began slogging through the flooded Afghanistan, congratulates Sgt. 1st Class Seidl, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Support Mission and U.S. Forces- fields toward their target a mile away. ter resetig hi ith the ier tr r e rt rs ei t Afghanistan commander, traveled to An hour later they reached the village, gt sse, right, ere the ier tr r their heri tis rig the Fort Carson to recognize Sgt. 1st Class where they entered by climbing a cliff Battle of Boz Qandahari in Afghanistan. Seidl, Staff Sgt. Russell and, posthu- face with switchback trails carved into mously, Maj. Andrew Byers for their the sides. first couple of compounds of interest had suddenly become a hell storm of heroic actions during an all-night battle “The village itself was something like (COI), and as they approached another enemy fire. against Taliban forces in the village of a castle, just steep, 100-foot high cliffs on COI through a street lined with 10-foot One fallen Afghan soldier was still Boz Qandahari, Afghanistan, Nov. 2-3. all sides of the village with only one entry high walls on either side, they encoun- in the kill zone as Seidl watched his The Soldiers, assigned to a Special way,” said Sgt. 1st Class Morrison, the tered a problem. team leader, then Capt. Andrew Byers, Forces Operational Detachment - Alpha team’s senior medical sergeant. “The lead blocking position calls up take action. (ODA) with 10th SFG(A), carried out the They moved swiftly through their and says, ‘Hey we’ve got a huge metal “Byers sprinted past me,” said Seidl. gate blocking the road,’” said Seidl. “He just ran straight into the smoke and Morrison was at the gate, along with the dust.” Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Gloyer, the team’s Inspired by his team leader’s selfless- senior intelligence sergeant. ness, Seidl said he took off after him, and “The ‘spider’ senses were definitely together they pulled the fallen Afghan tingling, being up there at that gate,” said soldier out of the kill zone. Morrison. Shortly after, a call came over the Seidl and another Special Forces radio saying another Green Beret was Soldier were planning a way around the down. Warrant Officer 1 Meade, the gate when the Taliban ambush began. assistant detachment commander, had “We heard a distinctive thud, and been shot five times in the legs, hip, hand we both turned to look at the gate,” said and wrist. Seidl. “That’s when the first grenade Staff Sgt. Russell, the team’s junior detonated.” weapons sergeant, was with Meade. Morrison and Gloyer, along with “I grabbed (Meade) by his plate several Afghan soldiers, were caught in carrier, dragged him back a few feet, and the blast. Morrison was knocked to the tried to get in front of him, between what ground, suffering shrapnel wounds to was basically a three-way kill zone … I his body, hands and face. thought I was dead,” he said. Gloyer, who was mortally wounded Meade, who is recovering from his in the blast, managed to run back to the injuries at Walter Reed National Military Soldiers of Special Forces Operational Detachment - Alpha, 10th Special Forces Group main group before collapsing. Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, (Airborne) memorialize two of their fallen brothers during a memorial held at Kunduz Morrison, ignoring his own grievous said Russell acted heroically in saving irfie i ghist re ers, the er, gt st injuries, began treatment on Gloyer. his life. Class Ryan Gloyer, intelligence sergeant, were killed in action during the Battle of Boz With Taliban forces attacking from hri, ghist, nearly all sides, the pitch black of night See Valor on Page 4 Inside Page 14 Pages 16-17 Page 5 2 MOUNTAINEER — Feb. 10, 2017 Commentary MOUNTAINEER Commanding General: Online resource consolidates a Gen Ran F Gonsales Garrison Commander: ol Ronald Fitch r installations’ programs, services rris i irs fi er ee ctt he eer improve the readiness and resilience of Army community Chief, Print and Web Communications: Army Public ealth Center Public Affairs offi cer members, and they empower our Army family. With an Ric ert enterprise approach to the CRG, every Soldier, Family Editor: ein Fisher Army offi cials want their Soldiers, civilians, Families member, civilian and retiree has access to the same and retirees to be aware of a new product that allows information, in the same way across the Army.” Staff writers: Aleandra Flodin individuals to see what resources are available to them. In addition to helping installation community Scott rater Fort Carson is among 48 Army installations across members locate services, the guides increase the awareness the globe that have launched Community Resource of installation leaders and service providers about what Sports writer: Walt ohnson Guides (CRGs) that provide a comprehensive inventory services their communities offer. They also provide a Layout/graphics: eanne aerall of programs and services across medical, mission and comprehensive referral tool for service providers who may garrison activities. identify additional needs when working with a Soldier “Army commanders increasingly recognize that or Family member. Compiling the guides helps identify This commercial enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Depart- Soldiers, civilians and Families need services that are absent in the ment of Defense. Contents of the Mountaineer are help identifying support services community but might be needed. not necessarily the offi cial view of, or endorsed that meet their individual needs. CRGs “These CRGs were developed in by, the U.S. Government or the Department of the are tools for accessing and coordi- coordination with community health Army. Printed circulation is 8,000 copies. nating the programs that promote promotion councils and health The editorial content of the Mountaineer is the respon sibility of the Public Affairs Offi ce, Fort health and strengthen physical, mental promotion offi cers,” said Courie. “One Carson, Colo., Tel.: 526-4144. The e-mail address and spiritual resilience,” said Anna of the goals of the Army is to synchro- is [email protected]. Courie, health promotion policy nize and communicate programs that The Mountaineer is posted online at and evaluation project offi cer at help Soldiers, civilians and Families http://www.fortcarsonmountaineer.com. the Army Public Health Center. overcome, and even thrive under, The Mountaineer is an unoffi cial Community Resource Guides for publication authorized by AR 360-1. The Each guide contains a list of Fort Carson and 47 other Army the stresses of Army life.” Mountaineer is printed by Colorado Springs support programs for a particular installations are available on The CRG application provides Military Newspaper Group, a private fi rm in military community organized in three tools to inventory programs at no way connected with the Department of the ways — alphabetically, by agency and the Army Medicine Website at individual installations to ensure Army, under exclusive written contract with by topic to help community members https://crg.amedd.army.mil. that services are responsive to local Fort Carson. It is published 49 times per year. The appearance of advertising in this easily fi nd services they need. The needs. It also collects information publication, including inserts or supplements, CRG is also searchable with more than on how the application is used by does not constitute endorsement by the 7,500 resources across the Army consolidated into an benefi ciaries in order to make it more useful over time. Department of the Army or Colorado Springs interactive, web-based and mobile-friendly application. Although the CRGs are relatively new, Courie said that Military Newspaper Group, of the products or Each Army installation’s website displays a CRG button more CRGs will be developed as senior commanders add services advertised. The publisher reserves the right to reject advertisements. to serve as a shortcut to their individual CRG. content managers to their staffs to provide the support in Everything advertised in this publication “CRGs provide ‘one-stop shopping’ for Soldiers, consolidating the resource data into the CRG application. shall be made available for purchase, use or civilians and Family members, as well as a comprehensive “As the CRG develops, analytics on user behaviors, patronage without regard to race, color, religion, program resource for the senior commander, leaders and search functions and cyclical patterns will be provided to sex, national origin, age, marital status, service providers on Army installations,” said Courie. “They the installations in order to focus community education on physical handicap, political affi liation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. If support the Army’s goals of synchronizing programs to frequently requested programs and services,” said Courie. a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confi rmed, the printer shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. For display advertising call 634-5905. All correspondence or queries regarding advertising and subscriptions should be directed to Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Group, 235 S. Nevada Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80903, phone 634-5905.