Six Soldiers Awarded Medal
The soldiers and staff on duty at the Joint Security Station Ur located in the region of Sadr City returned after a long night of duty. They had worked cooperatively with other Iraqi forces and Coalition troops to install 130,000 square feet of anti rock and anti grenade fencing around the JSS Ur. Most of them had very little sleep, and they had just returned when they had a surprise of a lifetime.
Major General Jeffery Hammond is the 4th Infantry Division commanding general and he took a break from his schedule to stop by Joint Security Station Ur. The General stopped to award some medals to the members of 769th Engineer Battalion, 35th Engineer Brigade, MNF- Baghdad.
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Six members of the engineer battalion were honored with the Bronze Star. The installation of the sniper screen was a dangerous task, beset with high winds, sniper attacks, and several other various hazards. They had to work at times suspended 40 feet in the air while being open to sniper attack.
The general presented Bronze Star medals to Sgt Stephan Choat, Staff Sgt. Lee Given, Spc Zachary Whitlatch, Specialist Jasper Stull, Specialist Raymond Myers, and Sgt Shawn Griffith.
“Using the sniper screen will protect the soldiers of JCC Ur into the future, these soldiers erected a barrier under dangerous and harsh conditions, under enemy fire,” said General Hammond.
Despite setbacks the mission was completed in just under 13 days. It is a monument to what can be done when soldiers such as the Engineer battalion set their mind and heart toward a task