NcDeuce
03-23-2004, 10:17 PM
Green Berets pinned for bravery
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
The Leaf-Chronicle
"It's just a couple of scratches," said Spc. Geofferey Glashauser when asked about the shrapnel scars left on his legs by a roadside bomb in Iraq four months ago.
Glashauser was one of two soldiers with 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group awarded the Purple Heart during a Monday ceremony at Cole Park Commons at Fort Campbell.
More than 160 other 5th Group members with 1st Battalion also were recognized for their combat efforts in Iraq, mostly when the unit secured western Iraq before the start of the war last March.
In addition to the Purple Hearts, other awards presented included the Bronze Star with Valor, Army Commendation Medal and Combat Infantryman and Medical Badges.
Glashauser, 23, is younger than most soldiers with Special Forces because he is an experienced counterintelligence agent -- an in-demand job that allows him to gather information about possible threats to Coalition Forces.
He has been with 5th Group for 1 1/2 years and said if he re-enlists he hopes it's with the same unit because of the camaraderie and ability to see the fruits of his labor.
"Just being with the guys instead of the normal day to day," is what Glashauser said he likes about being special forces. "Here I get to do (intelligence) stuff and then act on it."
Battalion commander Lt. Col. Robert Kelley, who pinned the medals on his men, gave his soldiers credit for keeping the enemy from launching long-range missiles and ultimately making it safer for U.S. conventional forces to go into Iraq.
"There are a lot of people in Iraq who can kick down doors, but there are very few people that can tell you which door to kick down," Kelley said about the intelligence gathering of the 5th Group.
Kelley also thanked spouses, children, mothers and fathers who supported their loved one while deployed.
"Many of these families make it possible for these men to go forward and go to war," he said.
Special forces soldiers are highly trained with an average age of 35. Their tasks, in addition to unconventional warfare, include training foreign forces, special reconnaissance and humanitarian or civic action. Three battalions in 5th Group rotate about every four months from their area of operation which includes the Middle East and Central Asia. Many of the soldiers speak Arabic or other foreign languages.
Because of the continued success of special operations troops fighting today's wars since Sept. 11, 2001, the Pentagon plans to recruit more of the trained warriors to play a front-line role in routing out Taliban and al-Qaida's influence in Afghanistan, as well as destroying remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
According to information taken from a recent hearing before House legislators, the proposed 2005 Department of Defense budget will provide $6.6 billion for Special Operations' needs, which is a 34 percent funding boost over last year.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040323/localnews/130885-55262.jpg
Spc. Geofferey Glashauser received a Purple Heart from Lt. Col. Robert Kelley, commander, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, during a ceremony at Fort Campbell Monday.
23 year old, cool...is he SF Support?
By CHANTAL ESCOTO
The Leaf-Chronicle
"It's just a couple of scratches," said Spc. Geofferey Glashauser when asked about the shrapnel scars left on his legs by a roadside bomb in Iraq four months ago.
Glashauser was one of two soldiers with 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group awarded the Purple Heart during a Monday ceremony at Cole Park Commons at Fort Campbell.
More than 160 other 5th Group members with 1st Battalion also were recognized for their combat efforts in Iraq, mostly when the unit secured western Iraq before the start of the war last March.
In addition to the Purple Hearts, other awards presented included the Bronze Star with Valor, Army Commendation Medal and Combat Infantryman and Medical Badges.
Glashauser, 23, is younger than most soldiers with Special Forces because he is an experienced counterintelligence agent -- an in-demand job that allows him to gather information about possible threats to Coalition Forces.
He has been with 5th Group for 1 1/2 years and said if he re-enlists he hopes it's with the same unit because of the camaraderie and ability to see the fruits of his labor.
"Just being with the guys instead of the normal day to day," is what Glashauser said he likes about being special forces. "Here I get to do (intelligence) stuff and then act on it."
Battalion commander Lt. Col. Robert Kelley, who pinned the medals on his men, gave his soldiers credit for keeping the enemy from launching long-range missiles and ultimately making it safer for U.S. conventional forces to go into Iraq.
"There are a lot of people in Iraq who can kick down doors, but there are very few people that can tell you which door to kick down," Kelley said about the intelligence gathering of the 5th Group.
Kelley also thanked spouses, children, mothers and fathers who supported their loved one while deployed.
"Many of these families make it possible for these men to go forward and go to war," he said.
Special forces soldiers are highly trained with an average age of 35. Their tasks, in addition to unconventional warfare, include training foreign forces, special reconnaissance and humanitarian or civic action. Three battalions in 5th Group rotate about every four months from their area of operation which includes the Middle East and Central Asia. Many of the soldiers speak Arabic or other foreign languages.
Because of the continued success of special operations troops fighting today's wars since Sept. 11, 2001, the Pentagon plans to recruit more of the trained warriors to play a front-line role in routing out Taliban and al-Qaida's influence in Afghanistan, as well as destroying remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq.
According to information taken from a recent hearing before House legislators, the proposed 2005 Department of Defense budget will provide $6.6 billion for Special Operations' needs, which is a 34 percent funding boost over last year.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/news/stories/20040323/localnews/130885-55262.jpg
Spc. Geofferey Glashauser received a Purple Heart from Lt. Col. Robert Kelley, commander, 1st Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, during a ceremony at Fort Campbell Monday.
23 year old, cool...is he SF Support?