Honoring the brave: Kentucky Army National Guard Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester.There was a time when the term "weekend warrior" was considered an uncomplimentary reference to members of the reserves and National Guard. Today in Iraq and Afghanistan, members of the Guard and reserve are making the same sacrifices and performing identical duties as their active duty counterparts. And it's 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just ask Kentucky Army National Guard Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester (born 1982) of the 617th Military Police Company, a National Guard unit out of Richmond, Kentucky, received the Silver Star for her actions on March 20, 2005 during an enemy ambush on a supply convoy near the town of Salman Pak, Iraq. . As a member of the Kentucky National Guard's 617th Military Police Company stationed at Camp Liberty Iraq, Hester and her fellow soldiers were shadowing a supply convoy while searching for improvised explosive devices Noun 1. improvised explosive device - an explosive device that is improvised I.E.D., IED explosive device - device that bursts with sudden violence from internal energy on March 20, 2005. That day, around 50 enemy fighters ambushed the convoy with AK-47 fire and rocket propelled grenades. The enemy disabled the lead vehicle, stopping the convoy in a well-planned kill zone. Hester courageously directed her vehicle's gunner at the enemy's strongest position. Meanwhile, Kentucky Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Timothy F. Nein, a squad leader Squad leader may mean
Squad Leader is a tactical level board wargame originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. , directed his team through the kill zone between the enemy and the convoy. Once through, Nein's squad flanked the insurgents Insurgents, in U.S. history, the Republican Senators and Representatives who in 1909–10 rose against the Republican standpatters controlling Congress, to oppose the Payne-Aldrich tariff and the dictatorial power of House speaker Joseph G. Cannon. , who outnumbered Outnumbered is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One in 2007.[1] It stars Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner as a mother and father who are outnumbered by their three children. the military police by five to one. As Nein's men came under heavy machinegun fire, Hester bravely stopped her vehicle at a flanking position and directed fire to a trench line that provided cover for the enemy. Hester left her vehicle and began engaging insurgents with her service rifle The service rifle (also known as standard-issue rifle) of a given army or armed force is that which it issues as standard to its soldiers. In modern forces, this is typically a highly versatile and rugged assault rifle suitable for use in nearly all theatres and environments. . She and Nein charged the enemy position with rifles and grenades. She eliminated three of the enemy, and cleared the trench. In total, 27 enemy fighters were killed, six were wounded and one was captured. Following the battle, the military police captured cell phones, video cameras and video tapes for intelligence purposes and confiscated con·fis·cate tr.v. con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing, con·fis·cates 1. To seize (private property) for the public treasury. 2. To seize by or as if by authority. See Synonyms at appropriate. adj. a cache of enemy weapons and munitions mu·ni·tion n. War materiel, especially weapons and ammunition. Often used in the plural. tr.v. mu·ni·tioned, mu·ni·tion·ing, mu·ni·tions To supply with munitions. . Hester and Nein were both awarded the Silver Star for bravery in the battle. She is the first woman to receive the award since World War II. Another female soldier, Specialist Ashely J. Pullen, received the Bronze Star Bronze Star n. A U.S. military decoration awarded either for heroism or for meritorious achievement in ground combat. Noun 1. for heroism after exposing herself to enemy fire to provide medical assistance to a critically injured soldier. Hester said she doesn't dwell on the historical precedent of being the first woman to receive the award in so many decades. "It really doesn't have anything to do with being a female," she said. "It's about the duties I performed that day as a soldier." "The sacrifices our troops making in combat, whether they are active duty, Guard reserve, is not lost on our staff," said National Service Director Randy Reese. "We continue to build upon our relationship with the National Guard, and we continue reaching out to the men and women who are returning from wartime service and transitioning to civilian life. Soldiers like Sergeants Hester and Nein inspire all of us to work even harder for our nation's veterans and their families." Hester is humbled by her award. Having returned from Iraq, she is pursuing a career in civilian law enforcement in Kentucky. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion