Posted on 05/24/2018 12:36:30 PM PDT by Kartographer
President Donald Trump has awarded the Medal of Honor to a Navy SEAL who oversaw a daring assault and rescue mission on a snowy Afghanistan mountaintop in 2002.
Trump presented the nation's most prestigious honor for battlefield bravery to Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski at the White House Thursday.
Trump says Slabinski is a "special man" and a "truly brave person."
The White House says Slabinski repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire from more heavily armed al-Qaida forces during the March 2002 assault. Slabinski later carried a seriously wounded teammate down a sheer cliff face while leading an arduous trek across challenging terrain through waist-deep snow.
During the following 14 hours, Slabinski stabilized casualties on his team and continued to fight al-Qaida until the mountaintop was secured.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Trump presents the Medal of Honor to Master Chief Slabinski
(Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJTnZVSGzAs
A 16 year delay is a slap in the face. Nothing justifies this kind of delay.
It is such a blessing how Trump holds up and honors the heroes of our nation. Such a change form how the last pResident looked down with disdain on the same.
Master Chief Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Britt Slabinski:
For his actions during Operation ANACONDA in 2002, to rescue teammate Petty Officer First Class Neil Roberts.
In the early morning of 4 March 2002, then-Senior Chief Slabinski led a reconnaissance team to its assigned area atop Takur Ghar, a 10,000-foot snow-covered mountain in Afghanistan. An enemy rocket-propelled grenade attack on the insertion helicopter caused Petty Officer Neil Roberts to fall onto the enemy-infested mountaintop below, and forced the damaged helicopter to crash land in the valley below. Fully aware of the risks, a numerically superior and well-entrenched enemy force, and approaching daylight, without hesitation Senior Chief Slabinski made the selfless and heroic decision to lead the remainder of his element on an immediate and daring rescue back to the mountaintop. Senior Chief Slabinski’s team, despite heavy incoming enemy fire, was subsequently successfully inserted on top of Takur Ghar. Senior Chief Slabinski, without regard for his own life, charged directly toward the enemy strongpoint. He and a teammate fearlessly assaulted and cleared one enemy bunker at close range. The enemy then unleashed a murderous hail of machine gun fire from a second hardened position twenty meters away. Senior Chief Slabinski exposed himself to enemy fire on three sides, then moved forward to silence the second position. With bullets piercing his clothing, he repeatedly charged into deadly fire to personally engage the enemy bunker with direct rifle fire, hand grenades and a grenade launcher on the surrounding enemy positions. Facing mounting casualties and low on ammunition, the situation became untenable. Senior Chief Slabinski skillfully maneuvered his team across open terrain, directing them out of effective enemy fire over the mountainside.
Senior Chief Slabinski maneuvered his team to a more defensible position, directed danger-close air support on the enemy, requested reinforcements, and directed the medical care of his rapidly deteriorating wounded teammates, all while continuing to defend his position. When approaching daylight and accurate enemy mortar fire forced the team to maneuver further down the sheer mountainside, Senior Chief Slabinski carried a seriously wounded teammate through waist-deep snow, and led an arduous trek across precipitous terrain while calling in fires on enemies engaging the team from the surrounding ridges. Throughout the next 14 hours, he stabilized the casualties and continued the fight against the enemy until the mountain top could be secured and his team was extracted. His dedication, disregard for his own personal safety and tactical leadership make Master Chief Slabinski unquestionably deserving of this honor.
http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/moh/slabinski.html
Congratulations to our newest hero. Very well done!
I watched this
It was lovely
But could someone PLEASE tell me why the Navy person ( not the honoree) holding the medal snatched it away when the President reached to take it?
And I believe Neil Roberts went on to put the bullet in Osama bin Laden’s head.
Yep.
Congress "awards".
Another writer, or a number of writers/editors, that should have been flunked out of higher education.
Trump, righting the wrongs of Bush and Obama.
It wasn’t Trump’s job to hold it - Trump just got ahead of himself. I know that I wouldn’t have wanted to try to hold it steady the entire time the citation was read!
Very nice ceremony. Hard to believe after 16 years Slabinski still looks like he could climb that mountain. I can’t imagine having to endure something like that for 14 hours. Although I guess that is why they train and stay awake for 5 DAYS!! Tough, TOUGH men!
Holy mackeral!
What a guy!!!!
(Best of all, it’s not posthumous.)
Imho
.
Another one of those evil white males...
Trump figured it out right away, knowing he got slightly out of sync for the ceremony. If ya watch it, after the Naval officer held it back, there were addition comments before it was given to the President. That was the planned order of events.
if he was a corpseman from Haiti he would have gotten it much sooner.
Oops, that was Robert Oneil
Trump awards Medal of Honor to Navy SEAL Master Chief Britt Slabinski for action in Afghan combat action.
See award citation in post # 5.
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