Posted on 02/08/2011 12:44:54 PM PST by cll
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Medal of Honor recipient and Iowa native Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta will end his Army career in June and move to Colorado to pursue his education, a military spokesman said Tuesday.
Giunta has opted not to re-enlist and will leave the Army in mid-June, said Army Spokesman George Wright. He and his wife, Jenny, plan to move to Fort Collins, Colo., where he will attend school.
Wright said he didn't know what school Giunta will attend, but Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University.
Giunta is the first living service member from the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor.
He was serving as a rifle team leader in Afghanistan when his platoon was attacked in 2007.
In announcing the award, the White House noted he went beyond the call of duty by exposing himself to enemy fire to pull a soldier back to cover. He also shot two insurgents who were trying to carry away a U.S. soldier.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
I salute you and wish you the best.
Ping
Godspeed, SSG Giunta!
About the only time I have any respect for the workings of Congress, is when they award the Congressional Medal of Honor, to the best among us.
.
.
I would also say that I HOPE that someone, like SecDef or Army Chief of Staff, or even Obama himself, would have sat him down and talked about a degree completion program. He may not have qualified by the letter of the program, but from a purely PR standpoint, accommodations could have and should have been made.
It would have been great to see him serve another 20+ years as an officer, a la Wesley L. Fox.
Why make a point that he’s not re-enlisting? It’s quite obvious he’s served his country beyond anything his country asked of him, and this man has more than earned his right to move on with his life.
I’m grateful for his service and bravery, and wish him only the best.
God Bless the Infantry.
Well that is interesting. I wonder then, why the “Congressional” has become so closely associated with it.
Additionally, according to this site, which uses the “Congressional” prefix, it is awarded by the President:
A real HERO & a role model for all.
“Thank you” seems so inadequate. May God bless him abundantly.
I’m not sure anyone was trying to “make a point.”
The article originated in Iowa. It’s a story about a hometown boy, a good-news story for the locals, a follow-up on the good soldier’s future plans.
Associated Press picks up stories from its local affiliates and distributes them through its network. That’s almost certainly what happened here — the story first ran locally and was then sent out by AP for the rest of us to read.
“Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta,..”
hmmm....picture shows a platoon sgt stripes...wonder if they gave him an automatic promotion of one rank to staff sgt....they should.
....wonder how many years he had in the Army?...time was, anybody with a DSC or MOH could make a nice career out of the Army.
...I hope he has a long and happy life.
Yes, I echo your sentiments.
Thank you for your service Sgt. Giunta and Godspeed.
But I have two questions;
1. Does anyone recognize the flash behind his jump wings?
2. I don't remember ever seeing dress blue trousers bloused into combat boots..and I was airborne.
(But I'm also old and just might have let that memory slip.)
Sorry about the triple post but my computer has a mind of it’s own.
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