Above and Beyond
Another member (Mastermind) PM a Mod (CJ) who brought this up, a thread dedicated to those who have gone above and beyond. It is our way to recognize that person and to say thank you, for setting a wonderful example. To get article posted, contact any of the Mods,
Thanks,
MP.NET.
Last edited by Hollis; 07-15-2009 at 11:54 PM.
local newspapers and sites reported on a hostage situation in Xinjiang, China, where an allegedly drunk man tried to drop his 9yo girl from the eighth story, and threatened the authorities that he's also gonna jump.
the officer on the pictures grabbed the girl, and slammed the window onto the perp, thus preventing the drop and the jump.
kudos for him!
Originally Posted by Army Times
Fallen Green Beret to get Soldier’s Medal
By Kevin Maurer - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 15, 2009 14:16:41 EDT
WILMINGTON, N.C. — In the final minutes of Sgt. James Treber’s life, frigid water filling his armored truck, the 24-year-old freed a pinned comrade and shoved the man into the small air pocket he’d been using to breathe.
Treber didn’t make it out of the canal in Afghanistan alive, but he saved another Special Forces soldier. On Wednesday, his family is to be presented with a Soldier’s Medal — an award for heroism not involving combat.
“It is an honor. I am proud of him for it,” his father, Gordon Treber of Astoria, Ore., said this week. “It is nice that he is being recognized for it officially.”
About 130 Soldier’s Medals have been awarded since late 2001, according to military records. Treber’s father, stepmother and wife plan to attend the ceremony at Fort Bragg.
For Sgt. 1st Class Joseph A. Serna, the June 2008 day is a painful memory.
Their truck had toppled from a narrow dirt road in Kandahar province and rolled upside down. In a statement made after the accident, Serna described struggling to get his seatbelt unfastened, but ammunition cans kept him trapped in the compartment.
“I felt a hand come down and unfasten my seatbelt and release my body armor. Sgt. Treber picked me up and moved me to a small pocket of air,” Serna said. “He knew there was not enough room for both of us to breathe so he went under water to find another pocket of air.”
Treber died shortly after.
Serna declined to talk about the rollover because it is still too traumatic; he said in an e-mail that he relives it every day.
“I am truly thankful of James’ actions that day, and I am very pleased to see him rewarded for such an act,” Serna said in an e-mail. “Because of James actions that night, he will always be a hero to my regiment, my family and I.”
James Treber was born in Hawaii and grew up in San Diego, Calif.
The elder Treber said his son had a reputation for being able to do anything physical. He remembers his son shrugging off scrapes and bruises from skateboarding and mountain biking and in elementary school jumping from a 6-foot fence to a jungle gym.
“When he wanted a bicycle, it had to be a stunt bike,” Gordon Treber said.
James Treber leaned toward the military early. He joined junior ROTC in high school and enrolled in a merchant marine apprentice program. Even before Treber graduated, his father said he was swayed by an Army Special Forces pitch.
He eventually found his way to the Special Forces, joining in 2005. After completing almost a year of training, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, at Fort Bragg.
Gordon Treber said when he found out how his son died, he wasn’t surprised.
“He wasn’t one to submit. I am sure he was fighting to the last,” Treber said. “I don’t look at James as a victim of anything. He knew what he was getting into. He was well aware of the dangers, but he took that challenge.”
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/0..._medal_071509/
IMHO, he deserved something more, since he gave his life for another.
Master Cpl. Paul Franklin's inspirational story of survival
Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both his legs in a suicide bombing in Kandahar earlier this year but doesn’t think of himself as a hero.
By Time CanadaJune 29, 2006
Master Corporal Paul Franklin lost both his legs in a suicide bombing in Kandahar earlier this year but doesn’t think of himself as a hero.
He says the 2,300 Canadian Forces personnel in Afghanistan are doing heroic work every day, and he’s proud just to represent them. "If you call me a hero, what you are really saying is that all of them are heroes. I’ll take that," he says.
As debate rages over Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, Franklin’s story stands out as remarkable. The medical technician, 38, trained the eight men in his patrol company, and it was their bravery and close teamwork that saved the lives of Franklin and two comrades after the attack.
Franklin was in a four-vehicle convoy driving Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry from Kandahar airfield to a reconstruction site in January. A bomber in a taxi smashed into their light-armored jeep, detonating seven rockets. The force of the blast blew the jeep into the air and 20 meters across the road.
Berry was killed at the scene. Private William Salikin and Corporal Jeffrey Bailey were seriously injured. Franklin’s hair and face were on fire, and his left leg was severed.
He lost his tourniquet in the blast, but Corporal Jake Petten came to his aid with one that Franklin had given him and trained him to use just three days earlier. The team’s response—quickly taking him and the two other injured soldiers to medical personnel nearby—was crucial in enabling all three to get home alive.
Franklin’s determination to return to Canada probably helped save him as well. "I promised my wife that I would always come home no matter what," he says. Clinging to life after the blast, he forced himself to stay conscious for wife Audra and their son Simon, 6, back in Edmonton.
That kind of willpower has seen him through a tough recovery too. In the first month, Franklin underwent 26 surgeries: five on his left leg and 21 on his right, which was eventually amputated. Since then, Franklin has worked hard in rehabilitation to adapt to his prosthetic legs. He can walk about 800 meters. "Even now, I doubt what I can do," he says.
"Then I just keep trying and doing my best. I don’t think that I’ll ever run, but I want to try." Meanwhile, he is already back at work teaching tactical combat medicine at bases across the country.
His comrades couldn’t ask for an instructor with a better understanding of what’s at stake.
More and a link to article:
http://www.cawc.net/open/wcc/4-3/interview.pdf
http://www.canada.com/topics/travel/...a54304&k=64189
http://www.legionmagazine.com/en/ind...e-quiet-fight/
An Army dog handler recently saved the life of a soldier critically injured by an IED blast in Afghanistan and then went on, with his dog, to trace and apprehend the bomb-makers.
Lance Corporal Lee Edwards on patrol in Sangin
Lance Corporal Lee Edwards and his dog Molly were just three metres away from the near fatal improvised explosive device (IED) blast which threw both of them into the air.
The pair had been tasked to support an IED search team along a road close to Sangin as night fell.
Lance Corporal Edwards said:"We knew that the road was heavily laden with IEDs. It had already claimed casualties and it was our job to assist in finding the devices, both for the benefit of the local population and also to prevent further British casualties."But a short time into the task, things went badly wrong. He continued:"One of the soldiers stood on a pressure plate IED. It was very close to where I was stood with Molly and the force of it blew us both into the air. When I landed I was dazed for a moment and my hearing was badly affected. I could just about hear screaming through the smoke and dust. I knew there were multiple casualties."Lance Corporal Edwards sprung into action, dusting himself off and moving towards where the explosion had happened. In the pitch black, with a shattered head torch and night vision goggles, he scrambled around in the dark, struggling to find casualties.
Lance Corporal Lee Edwards with his arms and explosive search dog Molly
As his colleague sent up an illuminating flare Lance Corporal Edwards quickly identified the most seriously injured through the flash of light:
"I ran over to him. He was in a really bad way. He had lost three limbs and was losing a lot of blood. I applied tourniquets to each of his wounds to stem the blood flow. With the help of field dressings and a blood-clotting agent, I managed to stop the bleeding."Despite his catastrophic injuries the soldier survived, thanks to Lance Corporal Edwards' quick action:"I just stayed calm and put my training into practice and it worked."The casualties were evacuated by helicopter for further treatment while Lance Corporal Edwards and Molly returned to the patrol base for the night.
The following day, they carried on with the task of clearing the road and moving through compounds identifying and disposing of a number of Taliban death-traps left in their path.
As they moved into a compound close to where the explosion had happened the previous day, Molly perked up. Lance Corporal Edwards continued:"I knew that she was onto something and I waited for her to show me where the explosive material was. She led me to an IED-making kit, probably similar if not the same as the one that would have produced the IED that had hit our patrol the day before.
"There were four people with the IED-making kit who were arrested immediately and flown out. It felt good to know that we were addressing the source of the problem; not just the IEDs themselves."
Arms and explosive search dog Molly is a two-and-a-half-year-old Springer Spaniel
Lance Corporal Edwards is currently serving with 101 Military Working Dog Support Unit based in Aldershot. He joined the unit after transferring from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment last year:"I just fancied a change," he said. "I've always wanted to work with animals and I knew being a dog handler would present a whole new range of challenges. I'm very lucky because only about 15 out of 500 who apply get in.Lance Corporal Edwards is four months into his tour of Afghanistan and spends the majority of his time on patrol with Molly searching routes, compounds and emergency helicopter landing sites.
"Sangin is a particularly challenging place to be posted because of the high number of IEDs planted in and around the town."
He is proud of Molly's achievements so far:"It is very hot weather for her but she is a typical English Springer Spaniel. She loves it and searches ten-to-the-dozen. I have to stop sometimes to rest her, because she won't stop herself!Lance Corporal Edwards, who has been in the Army for eight-and-a-half years, is looking forward to getting home to see his mum and brother in Wigan:"I head home in two months and I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and getting down my local pub, The Moon Under the Water in Wigan. I still think about the guy who was injured by the IED that day. I'd never met him before and I hope that, when I get back home, I might be able to check up on him and see how he's doing."
"She has had a very successful tour. She has found loads of IEDs; we're in double figures now and she also helped to detain the four bomb-makers. The lads love having us both with them on the ground. She is a really vital part of our task force. She really is saving lives."
Soldier with prosthetic leg returns to battlefield
Wed, 2009-09-23 09:54.
Trudie Mason
Less than two years after having half his leg blown off by a landmine in Afghanistan, a soldier from Quebec is headed back to the front. Captain Simon Mailloux is thought to be the first amputee ever to return to full combat duty. With his prosthetic leg, he can march 13 kilometres with a sixty pound pack on his back in a respectable time of two hours, 22 minutes.
http://www.cjad.com/news/565/996982
Another link in French;
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/...ont-afghan.php
I can confirm for you that Simon is truly one heck of a guy. Good luck on tour buddy.
Photo of him getting promoted.
http://www.militarytimes.com/multime...efid=808163493
Live RPG removed from soldier
Spc. Channing Moss was hit by a live rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan. For medics there was only one choice.
For the Docs who operated on Spc Moss.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFj8z...layer_embedded
Evzone guards refuse to abandon Unknown Soldier Tomp before bomb explosion
The bomb, described by authorities as being of “medium-size” and containing dynamite, exploded at 7.59 p.m. after being placed in a trash can in the open space right in front of Parliament, where the Evzone guards in traditional dress patrol in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
About 10 minutes before the blast, an anonymous caller contacted Eleftherotypia newspaper and warned that a device was about to explode in Syntagma Square. The area was cordoned off and the blast smashed only one window in the entrance to Parliament and another on the House’s third floor.
The President of the Republic accepted today and congratulated the two Evzone Guards and their supervising officer who stood with them. The sergeant in charge asked the two guards if they wanted to leave and they nodded negatively- so he stood with them. Αll three are conscripts.
Colorado Teacher Stops School Gunman
by The Associated Press
Enlarge Barry Gutierrez/APPolice gather outside Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Colo., where a gunman shot two students and was tackled by a math teacher Tuesday.
Barry Gutierrez/APPolice gather outside Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, Colo., where a gunman shot two students and was tackled by a math teacher Tuesday.
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February 24, 2010
The gunman was walking through a middle school parking lot in Littleton, Colo., and taking shots at students with a hunting rifle as terrified teenagers ran for their lives. He had just wounded two students and seemed ready to unleash more violence when a math teacher named David Benke sprung into action.
Benke confronted the 32-year-old gunman, tackled him and pinned him to the ground with the help of another teacher, stopping what could have been a much more violent encounter in a city all too familiar with tragic school shootings. The shooting occurred less than three miles from where the Columbine High School massacre happened nearly 11 years ago.
"Unfortunately he got another round off before I could grab him," Benke said. "He figured out that he wasn't going to be able to get another round chambered before I got to him so he dropped the gun and then we were kind of struggling around trying to get him subdued."
The two students survived Tuesday's shooting and one remained hospitalized.
Meanwhile, Benke became a national hero. A Facebook page called "Dr. David Benke Is A Hero!!!!" quickly grew to more than 14,000 members by Wednesday morning, and his actions were discussed on the floor of the state Senate.
"Sometimes that's just what we need. We need someone to be a hero for us," said state Sen. Mike Kopp of Littleton, who lives in Benke's neighborhood.
School officials praised the quick actions by the teachers as further proof that preparations put in place after Columbine paid off. The school typically has four to six staff members in the parking lot to keep order, and Benke said Wednesday that whenever the school conducted post-Columbine drills for emergencies, he told himself: "If something happens and there's something that I can do about it, I want to try and do something about it."
Police said they aren't immediately sure about what motivated Bruco Strong Eagle Eastwood to target Deer Creek Middle School just after classes had ended for the day. Investigators spent Wednesday interviewing school staff members in attempt to reconstruct the shooting, and they have found live rounds from the hunting rifle at several places on school grounds.
Eastwood has an arrest record in Colorado dating back to 1996 for menacing, assault, domestic violence and driving under the influence, and he is believed to have a history of mental issues. The sheriff's department said Eastwood is an unemployed ranch hand and former student of the school who has been attending community college off and on in pursuit of his GED. The department said he was cooperative with during his interview with investigators.
Benke, a father of 7-year-old twins and a 13-year-old girl, fought back tears after Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink thanked him. "Believe me when I say, I think he stopped what could have been a more tragic event than it was this afternoon," Mink said.
The victims, students Reagan Webber and Matt Thieu, were both treated at Littleton Adventist Hospital, where spokeswoman Christine Alexander said Webber was treated and released to her home. Thieu was transferred to The Children's Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition late Tuesday.
Benke, a 6-foot-5 former college basketball player who oversees the school's track team, was monitoring the parking lot in the afternoon when he heard what he thought was a firecracker and began walking toward the noise.
"At first when I was walking over there, it was kind of what a teacher does," Benke said, still shaken hours after the shooting. "`Hey kid, what are you doing,' you know that kind of thing."
He said another teacher was quickly on the scene and both of them pinned the gunman to the ground. Eastwood was armed with a bolt-action rifle.
"I basically have my arms and legs wrapped around him, (the other teacher) has his forearm around his front and we were basically trying to get the guy to quit struggling."
"I talked to him while we were on the ground," Benke added. "I was underneath him and his face was pretty close to mine. I asked him, `Why did you do this? Were you a student here?'
"He either didn't respond or his responses didn't make a whole lot of sense," Benke said.
The shooting rattled a city that was devastated in 1999 when two students shot and killed 12 students and a teacher in one of the deadliest school rampages in U.S. history. The middle school is right down the road from Columbine High School, and is located on West Columbine Drive.
Investigators said Eastwood visited the school previously and was inside shortly before the shooting. He is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday and may face at least two counts of attempted murder.
In 2005, Eastwood participated in a NASA-funded medical study in which he spent 10 days in a hospital bed so scientists could study muscle wasting, an affliction experienced by astronauts during long flights, according to a story in the Rocky Mountain News at the time.
He told the newspaper that he had a lifelong dream of being an astronaut and described his occupation to the newspaper as horse trainer working at his father's ranch. He pocketed $2,200 from the study and was able to spend a week and a half watching DVDs and playing video games during the bed experiment.
A man who answered the phone Tuesday night at a number listed for Eastwood identified himself only as "Mr. Eastwood" and said he was Bruco Eastwood's father. He was at a loss for words.
"There's nothing you can say about it. What can you say?" the man told The Associated Press. "Pretty dumb thing to do. I feel bad for the people involved." He wouldn't comment further.
As for Benke, he said he still wishes he could have done: "It bugs me that he got another round off" before Benke tackled him to the ground.
Crosby Navy Engineer Honoured For Saving Colleague From Drowning
A Royal Navy engineer from Crosby who was swept overboard by a freak wave has received a top honour for saving his colleague from drowning.
Petty Officer Alan Murphy, 27, has been awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery for keeping his unconscious comrade alive in freezing and stormy seas.
The pair were on board the Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset off Plymouth in January last year when they were swept off the flight deck by a freak 40-ft wave.
PO Murphy’s colleague, a Leading Hand, hit his head on the side of the ship and his lifejacket failed to inflate automatically.
“I swam over to him and tried to manually inflate his jacket but this was impossible because of the size of the waves – it had suddenly become stormy and they were huge. So I did all I could to keep his head above water which was not easy because I was swallowing a lot of water too. After about five minutes he became unconscious.
“The ship was moving at speed and we lost sight of it at one point. But when I saw it coming back towards us it was a huge relief but it was still a massive struggle keeping hold of my colleague and trying not to swallow water myself. I tried to remain calm and confident that someone would see us very soon.”
The pair spent about 15 minutes in the water before the ship’s seaboat arrived on the scene. “It seemed to come out of nowhere – I could not see it approach because of the size of the waves,” said PO Murphy.
After being treated on board HMS Somerset by medics they were taken by helicopter to hospital in Plymouth. PO Murphy was released later the same day but his colleague spent two days in intensive care but has since made a full recovery.
“I have only seen him once since then as our careers have gone separate ways, but it is just a relief that he’s now OK.”
PO Murphy, a former Manor High School pupil, said he only found out about the award a few days ago and was shocked at first. “I had not thought about the incident for months as it was over a year ago and never expected anything like this. But it has sunk in now and I feel proud and honoured.”
His citation reads: “If it were not for PO Murphy’s tenacity in holding on to his drowning colleague while endangering his own life in extremely inhospitable conditions, there is no doubt that his colleague would have lost his life.”
Currently studying full time for a degree in electronic engineering at Portsmouth University, he transfers to the Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth in September to train as an air engineer officer.
Where do we get such Marines?
not bad for an air winger!
Sergeant's Major
Wanted to share the following vignette and photos with you.
Today, I flew with the CG another JTAR with HMLA-369. As we were getting ready to taxi to start the mission - I looked to my right and noticed a Marine with a heavily bandaged arm working on an Huey. It took me a moment to realize who that Marine was - it was none other than Cpl Alvarez (I quickly snapped some photos). A week ago, that Young Warrior took shrapnel in his arm. To date, he has undergone (2) surgeries to remove the shrapnel. Early in the morning (today) - I ran in to Cpl Alvarez. I asked how he was feeling. He joked that they did not get all of the shrapnel out of his arm and that he will be setting off metal detectors at airports in the future. This is the same Warrior who a week ago under intense and direct enemy fire managed to off-load critical re-supplies to MARSOC. After both he and the pilot were hit, he managed to engage the enemy with the 50 cal MG that he is responsible for and laid down over 100 rounds of direct fire while remaining under enemy fire. When the CG and I visited him in the hospital, he called his injury "just a chicken scratch," and expressed his desire that he would rather recuperate with his Squadron (vice going to the Wounded Warrior tent). So, two surgeries later - where do we find this Warrior - back working on aircraft with a heavily bandaged arm in the heat of the day. This is his decision, this is his way of demonstrating commitment to a cause bigger than himself.
Where do we get a Young Man of this Character?
The photos should be called, "Commitment." Commitment to a cause greater than himself, unselfishness personified.
This is one of your Marines of the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing Forward - Sergeant's Major, this is one of your Warriors and Cpl Alvarez is indicative of the Marines we do have.
Semper Fi,
SgtMaj Spadaro
Sergeant Major Anthony A. SPADARO USMC
Third Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD)
I Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Camp Leatherneck
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