Spartans think fast during militant attack

Dusk firefight at Afghanistan base leaves one wounded

By Mark St.Clair, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, July 10, 2007

FIRE BASE PHOENIX, Afghanistan — The firefight lasted an hour, and by the end, thankfully only one man was wounded.

Just before 8 p.m. Sunday, 24 men from the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment’s Company B, Spartan Platoon were hit hard from multiple locations by sniper, small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. With the Spartans were 12 Afghan National Army troops and two American trainers.

Sitting almost 1,500 meters high on a steep hill in the Korangal River Valley in eastern Afghanistan, above the towns of Babeyal, Ali Bad and Darbart, Phoenix might not rise far enough. It’s surrounded on all sides by hills and ridgelines almost 250 meters higher. Fire on Sunday was coming from the south, east and southwest, and from below, near places nicknamed Table Rock, Nipple Rock and Honcho Hill.

Intelligence from the platoon of 10th Mountain Division infantrymen, whom the Spartans replaced, said enemy fighters farther up the valley liked to attack at dusk. After being on Phoenix nearly two months and seeing only one small burst of enemy fire on the base, some of the Spartans had begun to wonder whether having every man pulling security was worth it.

But sure enough, 10 minutes before the troops manned their positions, all hell broke loose.

Running to get their helmets and body armor, men were donning each other’s gear, protecting themselves as soon as possible.

Hit immediately was Staff Sgt. Ramon Padilla, a 32-year-old father of four and the Spartan third squad leader. Wounded in the head and left hand, pinned down by fire and too dazed to move, he shouted, “Man down! Man down!” and waited for help.

As bullets made the dust around their feet come alive, Sgt. Daniel Richardson, 22, closely followed by Spc. Aron Hijar, 24, picked up Padilla and moved him under cover.

“He was my squad leader and he was wounded,” Richardson humbly said afterward. “I didn’t think about it. He was in the open pinned down. I needed to move him to cover and get him treatment.”

Up and talking the entire time, shortly after receiving first aid from his buddies, Padilla was on his way down the mountain, en route to Jalalabad Air Field and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team medical assets there.

In the controlled chaos that followed Padilla’s removal, the men began sorting out whose weapon or helmet was whose and resupplying each other with ammo and water, every man firing hundreds of rounds.

As platoon leader 1st Lt. Matt Piosa, 24, was calling back to company headquarters and watching from above, Staff Sgt. Matthew Simon, the second squad leader and senior enlisted man on-scene, led the men on the lower portion of the base.

Piosa said because many of the Spartan senior enlisted leaders — including the platoon sergeant — were away on other missions, men like Simon, 31, and Spc. Brendan O’Byrne, 23, stepped up and took charge.

“Being hit that hard that quick, everything was [expletive],” Simon said, “But that’s how it goes down with a situation like we had. Everyone handled it well.”

For more than two hours after the fight, and under cover of darkness, the men with Simon monitored hills, draws and spurs with night-vision devices, looking for enemy activity. When men carrying flickering flashlights were seen less than 50 meters from Phoenix and in locations enemy fighters have been before, Simon was given the go-ahead to tell his men to shoot. The lights went out.

It was only the second time Phoenix has been hit directly since the Spartans moved in, though the men have taken fire on many of their patrols.

Because of the terrain, the Spartans said it’s almost impossible to tell how many enemy fighters there were or still are in the valley, and that it’s relatively easy for them to crawl up over a ridgeline and “spray and pray” or make more coordinated efforts like those Sunday.

Simon said because some recent Spartan patrols have been in territory the enemies deem their own, they might be becoming more aggressive. And even though the militants wounded only one person, radio chatter might claim they killed as many as 45 to boost their morale.

TF Rock prepared to tame ‘Valley of Fire’

Story 1

Story by Army Spc. Jon H. Arguello

JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (29 June) – Deep in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, the horizon is nearly overwhelmed with mountain ridges that seemed to have crashed through the surface of the earth with ferocity. Snaking through some of these rocky valleys and ravines runs what seems at some points a gentle but quick moving river, at others, an untameable rush of water desperately trying to escape its own riverbed.

More recently the area has been home to dramatic scenes of a different nature. Between the two large valleys called the Pech and Korengal, lies the bulk of intense fighting between insurgents and Coalition Forces in the northern half of Regional Command-East. The fighting however has not deterred ‘Rock’ Paratroopers from completing their mission.

Clashes between the combined US and Afghan forces and terrorists have been consistently occurring in the Pech District since the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team 1st Battalion 32nd Infantry Regiment ventured into the area in 2006 and 2007 with operations like “Mountain Lion” and with the establishment of small firebases in this area where the land is as inhospitable as the insurgents who are being evicted.

The terrorists meanwhile, who are finding themselves with fewer and fewer places to hide, have been desperately trying to hold onto one of their last staging grounds as newly arrived paratroopers prove their lethality and desire to move deep into areas terrorists are used to calling home.

The 2nd Battalion 503rd Infantry (Airborne) of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, which replaced the 1-32 Infantry over a month ago, is now charged with completing the task of taming the area now called the “Valley of Fire” by the Soldiers who patrol it because of the frequency of fire fights.

It’s been almost a year and a half since Task Force Rock, as the 2-503rd is called, left Afghanistan after proving its capabilities against insurgents and coming home with multiple battlefield victories of Hollywood calibre throughout a hard fought-over area of operations in the southern part of the country.

The battalion’s success was notable as they established relationships with the population and helped the Afghan authorities develop into a respectable fighting force, while intensely finding, fixing and destroying large numbers of enemy on several occasions.

Once again TF Rock has been given a tumultuous area and plans to tame the area are multi-fold.

“We are to conduct counter-insurgency operations in RC-East to destroy and defeat the insurgents and build the capability of Afghan national security forces in order to enable the government of Afghanistan to provide a secure and stable environment that deters the re-emergence of terrorism in the region,” said 1st Sgt. LaMonta Caldwell, of Battle Company 2-503rd Infantry (Airborne). “The troopers of Battle Company 2-503 understand our task at hand: first to finish what 1-32 has already started -- working with locals to establish a sound living environment, to help train and work side by side with ANA, and second -- to eliminate forces that cause disruption to the process of a good, trustworthy government in our area of responsibility.”

Already the “Sky Soldiers” placed along the triangularly shaped intersection of the two valleys have been in several fire fights and repelled various ambushes. But the attempts to challenge the Rock’s paratroopers is a waste of the insurgents’ time said Caldwell

“The insurgents as you may want to call them will never match up with any troopers from Battle Company or Rock Battalion,” said Caldwell. “This is not our first Rodeo. We just left Afghanistan 16 months ago. A lot of those veterans are still around, like myself. We have been shot at before, mortared before and we know what to do. Taking care of your buddy to your left and right is the key to our success and getting after [terrorists] when they try to attack us is our motto and that comes from the heart of these troopers in Battle Company, and no insurgent can match that.”

The Soldiers based in and around the dangerous valleys have proven they have heart and much more in the short time since their arrival. As their war stories accumulate their vested interest in the progress of the Afghan authorities becomes a personal matter.

“We have fought with these guys,” said Sgt. Raul Padilla, a Battle Company team leader at Firebase Phoenix in the Korengal Valley. “This has become personal to us. The people, not just the soldiers and policemen of Afghanistan, are depending on us to help them get control of their country.”

Personal is the only way these hardened paratroopers can take the death of one Soldier and several combat injuries in their battalion. But not even the death of their fellow Soldiers will deter them, said Padilla.

“We won’t leave this valley until the insurgents leave, and if they won’t leave we’ll make it personal for them too,” said Padilla, a veteran of TF Rock’s last deployment to Afghanistan. “This area is now under the control of US and Afghan forces. The Taliban are going to have to go away or go around us because they aren’t welcome here anymore.”

Although not every Soldier is a veteran of the hard type of fighting Afghanistan is known for, it is possible that every Soldier in the Valley of Fire will see contact at some point, as many already have.

“It was supposed to be a recon patrol into Aliabad,” explained Spc. Jason Mace of a fire fight on June 18. “It was very quiet as we reached the village. A couple of villagers were out and seemed happy to see us.”

“There was an area we had to cross that had little to no cover so we started bounding until we reach a school building. We stopped at the school to catch our breath behind a small wall. All of a sudden we heard shots.”

“At first we only heard shots from one ridgeline, then a second ridgeline. For a brief moment there was a lull and we thought it was going to stop, but then another ridgeline opened up on us. We had fire coming from a lot of directions, even behind us at one point,” described Mace.

“We just kept calling in rounds,” said Battle Company forward observer Pfc. Sterling Dunn of a separate fire fight. “We were landing rounds no more than 20 feet from them. They would seek cover and then continue firing. Me and the other [forward observer] were taking turns firing our M-4s and calling in missions to the south, southeast, southwest and east. We called in 60mm and 120mm mortars and 155mm Howitzers and we almost made each other deaf. I couldn’t hear for three days.”

Dunn, who participated in both battles and helped carry the Rock’s only fallen Soldier back to vehicles for extraction said he re-evaluated his job after the June 5 battle.

“It’s extremely important,” Dunn said. “Before, I didn’t like my job because I hated carrying the radio with a passion. Now I realize people’s lives are in my hands. On that day my buddies were taking fire below me. I had to call in rounds with urgency. I realize that everybody has a part.”

The sense of purpose these troops have gained goes beyond their specific jobs and ranks at this point Mace explained.

“Slowly we are accomplishing things here. We’ve already done things we were told were impossible. They said we couldn’t go to this area or pass that line but we have. It’s taking time but it’s not going to stop until we do something about it and we are.”

Knowing their importance and their role in Afghanistan is important said a platoon sergeant from Able Company who lives at Firebase California on the Pech Valley. His platoon’s job is to secure an area that includes a road project, seven villages and an unknown number of enemies.

A paratrooper from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, scans the ridgelines across the Pech River as he pulls guard at Firebase California, in eastern Afghanistan.

“I hope they know by now why they are here,” said Sgt. 1st Class Jose Maga񡠯f his Soldiers. “To look out outside the base and see people doing things, selling things, kids going to schools, even girls. That’s why were here. So that the Afghan people can do things many take for granted. It’s not easy to bear all the sacrifices these Soldiers are making but their role is historic in granting people the same freedoms we have at home.”

One of the platoon’s specific tasks is focused around a road project linking several population hubs through three districts.

“Our job is to secure an area of the Pech River Road,” said Maga񡬠also a veteran of the battalion’s last rotation to Afghanistan. “The strategic location and purpose of this road make it very valuable. We need to ensure the road’s progress moves forward. This road will improve the lives of the people who live here, enhance the Afghan security forces’ ability to control the area, and stimulate economical and social development.”

Just hours after Maga񡦡mp;#146;s interview, Firebase California fended off an insurgent attack. Despite persistent but apparently futile attempts to disrupt TF Rock’s work, the battalion continues to push economic and social development. A good relationship with the local populace is a theme the battalion is working hard to achieve.

“It’s important to concentrate on both lethal and non-lethal aspects,” said Maj. Scott Himes, TF Rock’s plans and operations officer. “Historically this has been an area of safe haven for the insurgents. If we don’t have a lot of positive interaction with the people, they will be susceptible to the Taliban’s leverage. We have to rely on a partnership with the people.”

“We have to prove to them that there is a positive alternative,” Himes said, “As we build trust with the people and the people trust more in the capacity of the Afghan governmental agencies, we can build long term partnerships. They’ll know we are going to stay and provide security.”

A recent flooding of the Pech River that killed three people, destroyed one home and nine bridges, may have demonstrated the local government’s commitment. As US forces came to offer aid, they were already in full swing of planning repairs. The Pech District’s sub-governor not only planned but, with US help, repaired the only road leading to the victims of the flood and delivered emergency relief.

Even with the 2-503rd’s tremendous efforts to develop Afghanistan’s security forces, the trust of the locals, and to stimulate their living conditions in a positive direction, it’s impossible to ignore the kinetic side of the war, especially in the ‘Valley of Fire’.

Task Force Rock Prepares to Tame Afghanistan’s ‘Valley of Fire’

Story 2

By Spc. Jon H. Arguello, USA

Special to American Forces Press Service

JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan  July 9, 2007 –

    It’s been almost 18 months since 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Rock, left Afghanistan after proving its capabilities against insurgents throughout operations in the southern part of the country.
The battalion’s success was notable as it established relationships with the population helping Afghan authorities develop a respectable fighting force, all while intensely finding, fixing and destroying large numbers of enemy on several occasions.

More than a month after replacing 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, Task Force Rock has once again been charged with completing the task of taming the area between the Pech and Korengal valleys called the “Valley of Fire” by soldiers who patrol it because of the frequency of fire fights.

“We are to conduct counterinsurgency operations in (Regional Command) East to destroy and defeat the insurgents and build the capability of Afghan National Security Forces to enable the (Islamic Republic) of Afghanistan (to) provide a secure and stable environment that deters the re-emergence of terrorism in the region,” said Army 1st Sgt. LaMonta Caldwell, of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment.

“The troopers of Battle Company, 2-503rd, understand our task at hand: first, to finish what 1-32 has already started -- working with locals to establish a sound-living environment, to help train and work side –by side with (Afghan National Army), and second, to eliminate forces that cause disruption to the process of a good, trustworthy government in our area of responsibility,” he said.

Already the “Sky Soldiers” placed along the triangular-shaped intersection of the two valleys have been in several fire fights and repelled various ambushes. But attempts to challenge the Rock’s Paratroopers are a waste of the insurgents’ time, Caldwell said.

“The insurgents, as you may want to call them, will never match up with any troopers from Battle Company or Rock Battalion,” Caldwell said. “This is not our first rodeo. We just left Afghanistan 16 months ago. A lot of those veterans are still around like me. We have been shot at before, mortared before, and we know what to do. Taking care of your buddy to your left and right is the key to our success, and getting after (terrorists) when they try to attack us is our motto. And that comes from the heart of these troopers in Battle Company, and no insurgent can match that.”

The soldiers based in and around the dangerous valleys have proven they have heart and much more in the short time since their arrival. As their war stories accumulate, their vested interest in the progress of the Afghan authorities becomes a personal matter.

“We have fought with these guys,” said Army Sgt. Raul Padilla, a Battle Company team leader at Firebase Phoenix, in the Korengal Valley. “This has become personal to us. The people, not just the soldiers and policemen, of Afghanistan are depending on us to help them get control of their country.”

Personal is the only way these hardened paratroopers can take the death of one soldier and several combat injuries in their battalion. But not even the death of their fellow soldiers will deter them, Padilla said.

“We won’t leave this valley until the insurgents leave, and if they won’t leave we’ll make it personal for them too,” said Padilla, a veteran of Task Force Rock’s last deployment to Afghanistan. “This area is now under the control of Afghan and coalition forces. The Taliban is going to have to go away or go around us because they aren’t welcome here anymore.”

The sense of purpose these troops have gained goes beyond their specific jobs and ranks at this point, Army Spc. Jason Mace explained.

“Slowly, we are accomplishing things here,” Mace explained. “We’ve already done things we were told were impossible. They said we couldn’t go to this area or pass that line, but we have. It’s taking time, but it’s not going to stop until we do something about it, and we are.”

The soldiers know their role in Afghanistan is important, said a platoon sergeant from Company A who lives at Firebase California, in the Pech Valley. His platoon’s job is to secure an area that includes a road project, seven villages and an unknown number of enemies.

“I hope they know by now why they are here,” Army Sgt. 1st Class Jose Maga񡍊 said of his soldiers. “To look out outside the base and see people doing things, selling things, kids going to schools, even girls, that’s why we’re here, so that the Afghan people can do things many take for granted. It’s not easy to bear all the sacrifices these soldiers are making, but their role is historic in granting people the same freedoms we have at home.”

The view from a gun position at Firebase Phoenix overlooking the Korengal Valley. Paratroopers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, occupy several small firebases along the valley in one of the most hard-fought areas in Afghanistan's Regional Command –East area of responsibility.

One of the platoon’s specific tasks is focused around a road project linking several population hubs through three districts.

“Our job is to secure an area of the Pech River road,” said Maga񡬠also a veteran of the battalion’s last rotation to Afghanistan. “The strategic location and purpose of this road make it very valuable. We need to ensure the road’s progress moves forward. This road will improve the lives of the people who live here, enhance the Afghan security forces’ ability to control the area and stimulate economic and social development.”

Just hours after Maga񡦡mp;#146;s interview, Firebase California fended off an insurgent attack. Despite persistent but apparently futile attempts to disrupt Task Force Rock’s work, the battalion continues to push economic and social development. A good relationship with the local populace is a goal the battalion is working hard to achieve.

“It’s important to concentrate on both lethal and non-lethal aspects,” said Army Maj. Scott Himes, Task Force Rock’s plans and operations officer. “Historically this has been an area of safe haven for the insurgents. If we don’t have a lot of positive interaction with the people, they will be susceptible to the Taliban’s leverage. We have to rely on a partnership with the people.”

“We have to prove to them that there is a positive alternative,” Himes said. “As we build trust with the people and the people trust more in the capacity of the Afghan governmental agencies, we can build long-term partnerships. They’ll know we are going to stay and provide security.”

A recent flooding of the Pech River, which killed three people and destroyed one home and nine bridges, may have demonstrated the local government’s commitment. As coalition forces came to offer aid, they were already in full swing planning repairs. The Pech district’s sub-governor not only planned, but also with coalition help repaired the only road leading to the victims of the flood and delivered emergency relief.

Related Sites:
Combined Joint Task Force 82

173rd Airborne remembers fallen comrades

By Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, October 11, 2007

In May 2005, elements of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment were engaged in a six-hour battle. Blaskowski, though wounded in the leg, continued to lead his squad through the fight and was awarded the Silver Star.

He deployed to Afghanistan again in May as platoon sergeant for Company B’s 1st Platoon.

“Already, Sergeant ‘Ski was a genuine hero,” said Lt. Col. Todd Johnston, the 173rd rear detachment commander. “He saw no reason to rest on his merits.”

Blaskowski died Sept. 23 in Asadabad of wounds suffered from small-arms fire.

Blaskowski, one of the 40 original members of Company B when “The Rock” stood up in Vicenza in 2002, married an Italian national in 2006. His wife, Daniela, and three rows of her relatives and friends attended the service. He also is survived by his parents, Terry and Cheryl Blaskowski; a brother, Stan; and a grandmother, Shirley Blaskowski.

First Sgt. Richard Howell said Blaskowski always managed to get the task done without complaining. And he had a way of encouraging others to do so as well.

“Sometimes, it would be the simple phrase ‘Dude, you’ve just got to do it,’” Howell said.

Taylor grew up in Cameron Park, Calif. His father, Richard, a military veteran, died in a car crash in 2003 and Taylor decided to join the military to honor his father’s memory. He joined the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment after completing basic training and airborne school. A member of 1st Platoon, Company D, he served as a machine gunner.

Taylor was severely injured on July 23 when a roadside bomb destroyed his Humvee and killed four other soldiers. He underwent treatment for two months at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas before dying on Sept. 26.

Johnston said Taylor showed “tremendous courage in the face of adversity” both while on the battlefield and fighting to survive during his hospital stay.

Pfc. Russell Chappell remembered his friend as “an honest man trying to make a difference for those around him.”

Taylor is survived by his mother, Patty, and sister, Heather.

Blaskowski and Taylor are the 12th and 13th soldiers based in Vicenza to die since the brigade deployed to Afghanistan in May. Three brigade members based in Schweinfurt, Germany, also have died in Afghanistan.

They are

called the

"Quilt of Tears"

for the

many tears

that have been

shed for these victims.

From danger zone to national spotlight

    Linda Schrader has many reasons to be proud of her son, Spc. Brian K. Underwood. The Chesterton High School graduate is fighting in the most dangerous place in Afghanistan. He's up for a medal for putting himself under enemy fire to retrieve the body of a fellow soldier killed in action. And the country is going to hear his story when ABC's "Nightline" and the magazine Vanity Fair run stories about his company, the 173rd Army Airborne.

A local soldier will receive national attention, all because he is stationed in a section of Afghanistan that is among the most dangerous places in the world.

Spc. Brian K. Underwood is stationed with the 173rd Army Airborne in the Korengal Valley, which lies on the border of Pakistan and is a main route for rebel fighters.

"Nightline," a national news show on ABC, will feature a story Monday night about Underwood's battle company, his mother, Linda Schrader, said.

Vanity Fair also is planning on publishing a story about the group written by famed author and journalist Sebastian Junger. The story is slated for the January issue, available the second week of December.

"I can hardly believe it," Schrader said, adding that she and her husband, Doug Scrhader, were proud of him. "I'm just waiting to see it."

The 27-year-old Underwood, who graduated from Chesterton High School in 1999, has been stationed in the valley for six months of a 15-month deployment.

Schrader, a Wheatfield resident, said he often writes and talks about how hard it is for the general population to live there.

"They live in such rough conditions," she said. "There's no running water or electricity."

The group sees heavy fighting, sometimes up to 14 firefights in one day, she said.

Underwood, who's stationed in Italy when not deployed, also has been nominated for a medal after he helped keep the enemy from dragging away a fellow soldier killed in action.

According to the nomination letter, Underwood ran to help retake the hill the soldier was on and left himself open to the enemy at times to do so.

Junger, who wrote the book "The Perfect Storm," has spent time with Underwood and the rest of the company since this summer.

He has written several e-mails to Schrader and told her that he interviewed her son extensively.

"Brian seems healthy and fine and holding up very well in admittedly tough circumstances," Junger said to Schrader in an e-mail. "It's really a pleasure to be with those guys."

Spc. Brian K. Underwood, 27, has been stationed with the 173rd Army Airborne in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan for six months of a 15-month deployment.

Schrader said her son willingly signed up two years ago and feels he needs to be there.

Even though he occasionally questions why he's there, she said, he has written that he wants to keep his family safe.

"He loves it. He believes in what he's doing," she said. "He knows that if we don't stop them, they will be back in our country."

                KIRKUK, Iraq--I'm typing this in a plush, air-conditioned conference room on the second floor of a ransacked compound that was the seat of Saddam's municipal government here in this ethnic stew-pot of a city.

? Two-thirds of those suffered by the entire 82nd Airborne Division in WW2.

Republic of   Vietnam Service

Trooper Stays - Saves Squad

         LZ UPLIFT (RVN)- On November 20 a seven man patrol left the night perimeter of B Co, 3d Bn, 503d Inf, to conduct a limited reconnaissance of the area.
  Proceeding on a jungle trail, the team discovered fresh footprints. Cautioning his men to the danger, Sgt 'Flea' Bishop, of Miami, took the point position. As they moved cautiously up the trail Bishop became more and more worried, something was drastically wrong. The usual jungle noises were missing. Someone had to be nearby.
  At this point the patrol broke out of the jungle into a clearing covered with seven foot elephant grass. Bishop left his men near the woodline, he went forward alone, not wanting to risk his men in the open area. A quick check revealed nothing. Still, he was worried. If a man is to live long in the jungle he doesn't ignore his hunches.
  Walking back through the elephant grass Bishop felt eyes on him. He was still nervous. When his men formed into a single file, ready to cross the area at his beckon, he waved them back.
  That's when the NVA blew their ambush. They had carefully prepared the little clearing as a death trap. Only a hunch had kept the Paratroopers from walking right into a 'U' shaped ambush. As it was they were caught just at the mouth of the 'U'. Grenades exploded, rifles cracked, and the Red machine guns chattered. The Communists fired withering fire down into the Paratroopers positions.
  A grenade exploded next to Sp4 Clifford (Butch) Casady, blowing him back off a natural embankment, destroying his M-16. Crawling back, his ears ringing and a little deaf from the blast, Casady continued to fight with his sole remaining weapon... grenades.
  The Troopers heard their M60 machine gun open up. Sp4 Dennis Ziebarth, of Billings Montana, had been carrying the machine gun. He was putting down an amazing amount of fire. His accurate firepower stunned the Reds, allowing his buddies to crawl to better positions. After the fierce exchange with NVA gunners, the machine gun fell silent. The Paratroopers improved their positions, but they were still in hot water. The Reds still had them pinned down. They couldn't see Ziebarth he was hidden in the tall grass. His machine gun was still silent.
  Damn, they needed that gun. "Ziebarth," they called. Ziebarth, get that damn gun over here. Ziebarth, hurry... we're pinned down. Ziebarth... Ziebarth... where in the hell are you?
  When the rest of B Co arrived 15 minutes later, the NVA pulled out and ran. A quick search of the area turned up Ziebarth. He hadn't taken cover when the ambush was blown. Instead he had dropped down, with nothing but the elephant grass to cover and conceal him and gave covering fire for his buddies. He had died across his machine gun, the trigger still tightly gripped in his hand. There was only fifteen rounds of ammo left for the gun. He had purchased the time his buddies needed, but the price was high.
  As the company walked down the Soui Ca valley, they realized that they had lost a good man. Later the men would talk. The ties between Combat Troops are strong, a lost brother would not be forgotten. The 173d has a reputation as a hard-core unit. Still, several Paratroopers cried... openly and without shame. A Platoon Sergeant on his third Vietnam tour said...

Landing Zone Uplift ~

      During the first two days of the ground war, the Brigade raced through Iraq's western desert and was within a day's march of Baghdad. The Brigade was also the first U.S. military unit to enter the Iraqi capital and hold the city center.

    From that point on, he says, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life: "I wanted to become a trauma surgeon for the U.S. Army Paratroopers."

             Last week, Lt. Col. Stinger, a Chestnut Hill native and board-certified army surgeon, commanded the first Forward Surgical Team to Parachute into combat since World War II.

                   Army PFC Jessica Lynch, shown in this image from video released by the Department of Defense Wednesday April 2, 2003, is carried by U.S. special forces as she is removed from the Saddam Hospital in Nasiryia, Iraq, early Tuesday, April 1, 2003.