Posts Tagged ‘Profiles of valor’

Profiles of Valor: U.S. Army Sgt. Malone

March 21, 2009

Profiles of Valor: U.S. Army Sgt. Malone

Malone

United States Army Sergeant First Class Ed Malone was serving with the 3rd Platoon, Grim Troop, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in 2005 and was conducting a joint combat patrol with the Iraqi Army in the extremely hostile Surai district of Tal’Afar, when the unit was attacked. Without immediate direct fire support from his Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Malone ordered his men to take a defensive position and return fire. He directed his grenadier to eliminate several enemy targets firing from a rooftop. Malone also repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire — once to retrieve important equipment, another time to evacuate women and children caught in the crossfire, and finally to drag a wounded soldier out of the line of fire. His actions sped medical treatment and evacuation, saving the soldier’s life. Malone refused to give ground until reinforcements arrived, and he and his unit held their position for more than an hour. He led a three-man team to clear a courtyard of enemy fighters, relieving pressure on his unit. There, while administering aid to an enemy combatant, Malone was shot in the foot. For his brave actions that day, Malone was awarded the Bronze Star with combat “V” for valor.

Profiles of valor: US Army Sgt. Ruske

November 7, 2008

United States Army Sgt. Gregory Ruske, a reservist from Colorado Springs, was on tour in Afghanistan in April when he proved to be a hero. Ruske was assigned to Combined Joint Task Force 101, operating in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province. His platoon was on patrol in a remote area not accessible by vehicle when Taliban fighters attacked. Ruske supplied cover fire as most of the platoon moved to protective cover. He took a bullet to the hip but kept fighting. Ruske noticed that two Afghan National Police officers were pinned down in the open, under heavy fire. One officer was able to run for cover, but the other had been wounded and was attempting to crawl to safety. Ruske then ordered his squad automatic weapon gunner to spray the enemy with a Z-shaped pattern of fire giving him enough cover to run to the aid of the Afghan officer. He and Spc. Eric Seagraves grabbed the officer’s arms and dragged him toward a wall for cover before realizing the officer’s leg was shattered.

After the ambush was defeated, Ruske received treatment for his wound and then visited the Afghan whose life he had saved. The Afghan made a full recovery. For his bravery and selfless actions under fire, Sgt. Ruske became just the fourth Army reservist to receive the Silver Star for heroism in the War on Terror. “I don’t consider myself a hero,” he said. “I was just an ordinary guy put in an extraordinary situation. I reacted based on my upbringing, training and compassion, and thankfully, it worked out in the end.”

source: Patriot Post