A soldier's story: SFC Erick Macher, Scout Platoon Sergeant, TF 1-7 FA, 1st ID, in OIF II.

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Erick R. Macher from Fairfield, California, is a 13B Cannoneer serving as the Platoon Sergeant for 2d Platoon, A Battery in Task Force 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery (TF 1-7 FA), 1st Infantry Division (1stID) in Germany. He deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) II (February 2004 to February 2005) and served as a Scout Platoon Sergeant for Task Force 1-7 (Motorized Infantry) in Bayji, about 30 kilometers north of Tikrit, one of the largest and most hostile areas of operation (AO) in the 1st ID's sector. SFC Macher was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, the latter for his overall leadership and actions during more than 400 combat patrols. This is his story.

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About 72 hours after we got to Kuwait, we learned our FA battalion that was deployed as an infantry task force needed a scout platoon. That platoon would have to operate independently using infantry tactics. It was an honor when our platoon was selected to be the scout platoon.

We had trained in the basic Soldier skills and had some training in Kuwait, but operating as a scout platoon was new for everyone. The types of missions we conducted were area reconnaissance, movements-to-contact, QRF [quick reaction force], raids for high-value targets (including two with Special Forces), cordons, MSR [main supply route] security, Iraqi infrastructure security and NAI [named area of interest] surveillance.

The last three or four months of the deployment, we primarily conducted raids in Ash Sharqat, about 75 kilometers north of Tikrit. On 20 September 2004, we were on a mission in Ash Sharqat for the weekly meeting with the city police chief. When the meeting ended, we started back to FOB Summerall; mine was the trail vehicle in the convoy.

Suddenly, we were fired upon at three o'clock. Our Soldiers returned fire, and then the radio reported shots being fired at the front of the convoy and at nine o'clock. Next, we began receiving fire from the rear--the platoon was in a 360-degree firefight.

Most fire was 10- to 15-second bursts from enemy rifles, but we also had RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades], machine guns and mortars fired at us. It was continuous fire, which meant this was a serious engagement ... a very deadly engagement. It, literally, was as if each vehicle had its own "battle" going on.

Our training paid off. Every NCO and team in each truck fought their way through the engagement--I was proud of them. One team identified an enemy machine gun nest up the hill, and my gunner concentrated his .50 caliber fire on it.

All of a sudden I heard, "Man down!" on the radio. When a Soldier is injured, my vehicle automatically moves up the convoy to MEDEVAC [medically evacuate] the Soldier because the platoon medic rides with me. When you hear "Man down!" your adrenalin starts pumping--he is one of yours--so you react.

I radioed, "I'm coming down the left side, clear your fire!" We raced to the injured Soldier, Specialist Joshua Henry, the platoon leader's driver. We saw some insurgents about 50 meters away running away with their machine guns.

At this point, our job was not to take the fight to the nearly destroyed enemy, but to evacuate Specialist Henry, who was seriously hurt. I called for the front of the convoy to concentrate fire to clear a path for the platoon to push out. We put Specialist Henry in my vehicle. Then I went back to get his helmet and stuff lying on the ground about 20 meters behind. I just couldn't let the enemy grab the helmet and have his parents see some insurgent wearing it on CNN.

At that point, most of my platoon was about 75 meters in front of me, concentrating fire in front and moving out. All of a sudden, I heard, "Vehicle down!" on the radio. That meant a HMMWV [high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle] had been shot in the engine and couldn't move.

My mind was racing. I thought, "I've got to get this kid and platoon out, and now I have a vehicle down with Soldiers in danger because they can't move." Sergeant Collin Macinnes immediately took action. He rammed the disabled HMMWV from behind and pushed it about 300 meters out of the kill zone. Soldiers quickly strapped the vehicle to another HMMWV and towed it back.

Meanwhile, I raced to the closest patrol base with Specialist Henry, about 15 minutes away at ASP [Ammunition Supply Point] Tinderbox, looking for the MEDEVAC chopper the platoon leader had called for digitally--we were too far away for radio communications.

I held Specialist Henry's hand in the HMMWV and went with him in the chopper to the nearest hospital. About two hours later, he died. That was tough, not only on the platoon, but also on the entire battalion. He was a good Soldier.

Specialist Henry and the other members of the platoon were responsible for the deaths of 11 insurgents that day.

As a Platoon Sergeant, my job is to train and take care of Soldiers to ensure they can handle anything they face. It's all about Soldiers. Although we sadly lost Specialist Henry that day, the platoon's Soldiers took action independently while under fire to repel the enemy and accomplish the mission.

Soldiers make it happen. As their Platoon Sergeant, I am just their "Point Man."