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‘Our nation has asked a lot of you’

Oct-30-2007 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

By Don Kramer, Northwest Guardian

Their chain of command awarded the Regulars from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment 80 percent of the medals for valor received by Soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division in its recent deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On Monday in Sheridan Sports and Fitness Center, the commander of 3-2 Inf. Bde., Col. Stephen Townsend, began the process of pinning them on. He presented Bronze Stars and Army Commendation Medals, 13 with V-devices, along with 17 Purple Hearts and 46 Combat Infantryman Badges. The awards were shared among Attack, Battle and Hound companies; the fourth organic unit, C Company, was detached to 1-14 Cav. at the outset of the deployment.

Seven Soldiers had received Silver Stars the week before at the 3-2 Inf. redeployment ceremony; six were from the battalion and the other, an 18th Engineer NCO, was attached to 5-20 Inf.

The awards represented many, but not all, of those earned by the battalion that was sent into Diyala Province three months in advance of Arrowhead Ripper — the first major coalition offensive of the surge. Prior to the Regulars’ arrival, Baqubah had been the self-proclaimed capital of al-Qaida’s new republic, founded on the harshest interpretation of Islamic principles.

The hard core al-Qaida fighters launched everything they could muster at the battalion task force, from daily sniper attacks to ambushes and massive improvised explosive devices.

“They amazed me every single day they went out,” said Lt. Col. Bruce Antonia, 5-20 Inf. commander, of his Soldiers.

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