FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Leigh Ann Hester ~ April 8, 2013

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[Kathy in Alaska]

 

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday...
Thank the Veterans who served
in The United States Armed Forces.

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Armed Forces Today!

---

~ Hall of Heroes ~

Leigh Ann Hester
Info from here.

(Thank you to mountainlion for bringing this hero to our attention!)

           

Leigh Ann Hester (born January 12, 1982) is a United States Army soldier. While assigned to the 617th Military Police Company, a Kentucky Army National Guard unit out of Richmond, Kentucky, Hester received the Silver Star for her actions on March 20, 2005 during an enemy ambush on a supply convoy near the town of Salman Pak, Iraq. Hester enlisted in the U.S. Army in April 2001 and is the first female U.S. Army soldier to receive the award for exceptional valor since World War II and the first ever to be cited for valor in close quarters combat.

Hester's squad of two women and eight men in three Humvees was shadowing a 30-truck supply convoy when approximately 50 insurgent fighters ambushed the convoy with AK-47 assault rifle, RPK machine gun fire and rocket propelled grenades (RPG). The squad moved to the side of the road, flanking the insurgents and cutting off their escape route. Hester maneuvered her team through the kill zone and into a flanking position, where she and her squad leader, Staff Sergeant Timothy F. Nein, assaulted a trench line with hand grenades and M203 grenade launcher rounds. Hester and Nein assaulted and cleared two trenches. During the 25-minute firefight, Hester killed at least three enemy combatants with her M4 carbine.

When the battle was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded, and one captured. Sergeants Hester and Nein were both awarded the Silver Star. Nein's was later upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross.

Also awarded the Silver Star in this ambush was platoon combat medic Specialist Jason Mike, who took up and simultaneously fired an M4 carbine and M249 SAW light machine gun in defense of his comrades.

Hester took a brief break from the U.S. Army in 2009, and worked as a civilian law enforcement officer in a Nashville, Tennessee suburb. However, she returned to the military a short while later, in late 2010.

Leigh Ann Hester's Silver Star Citation

Citation:

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Leigh Ann Hester, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for exceptionally valorous achievement during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 20 March 2005, in Iraq. Sergeant Hester's heroic actions in Iraq contributed to the overwhelming success of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq mission. While serving as the Team Leader for RAVEN 42B in the 617th Military Police Company, 503d Military Police Battalion (Airborne), 18th Military Police Brigade, Sergeant Hester led her soldiers on a counterattack of anti-Iraqi Forces (AIF) who were ambushing a convoy with heavy AK-47 assault rifle fire, PRK machine gun fire, and rocket propelled grenades. Sergeant Hester maneuvered her team through the kill zone into a flanking position where she assaulted a trench line with grenades and M-203 rounds. She then cleared two trenches with her Squad Leader where she engaged and eliminated 3 AIF with her M-4 rifle. Her actions saved the lives of numerous convoy members. Sergeant Hester's bravery is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflects distinct credit upon herself, the 503d Military Police Battalion (Airborne), the 18th Military Police Brigade, and the United States Army.

NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:

Sergeant Leigh A. Hester is cited for conspicuous gallantry in action against an armed enemy of the United States while engaged in military operations involving conflict with anti Iraq forces (AIF) as a team leader for Raven 42B, 617th Military Police Company, 503rd Military Police Battalion (Airborne) stationed at Camp Liberty, Iraq on 20 March 2005, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The team's mission was to assist Raven 42 in searching the Eastern Convoy Route for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and provide additional security to sustainment convoys traveling through their area of responsibility. While patrolling Alternate Supply Route (ASR) Detroit, Raven 42B was shadowing a sustainment convoy consisting of 30 third country national (TCN) semi-tractor trailers with a three vehicle squad size escort, call sign Stallion 33, traveling from LSA (logistics support area) Anaconda to CSC (convoy support center) Scania. The weather for this ASR patrol was 75 degrees and sunny with a 10 knot breeze from the southwest. While traveling on ASR Detroit approximately 50 AIF ambushed the convoy with heavy AK47 fire, RPK heavy machine gun fire, and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) from the southwest side of the road at 1140 hours. The AIF were utilizing irrigation ditches and an orchard for the well planned complex attack. The AIF had cars combat parked along a road perpendicular to the ASR with all doors and trunks open. The AIF intent was to destroy the convoy, to inflict numerous casualties, and to kidnap several TCN drivers or U.S. Soldiers. The initial ambush disabled and set on fire the lead TCN vehicle, which effectively blocked the southbound lanes of ASR Detroit, stopping the convoy in the kill zone. The squad leader, Staff Sergeant Timothy Nein, directed the squad to move forward, traveling on the right shoulder and passing through the engagement area between the enemy and the convoy. Sergeant Hester directed her gunner to provide heavy volumes of MK 19 and M240B fires into the field where an overwhelming number of insurgents were executing a well coordinated ambush on the convoy. Raven 42 elements were outnumbered five to one. Staff Sergeant Nein ordered the squad to flank the insurgents on their right side. The squad continued to come under heavy machine gun fire and rocket propelled grenade fire when Sergeant Hester stopped her vehicle, the middle vehicle, at a flanking position enfilading the trench line and the orchard field where over a dozen insurgents were engaging the squad and convoy. She then directed her gunner to focus fires in the trench line and the orchard field. Sergeant Hester dismounted and moved to what was thought to be the non-contact side of the vehicle. She ordered her gunner to continue to fire on the orchard field as she and her driver engaged insurgents in the orchard field with small arms. Sergeant Hester began engaging the insurgents with her M203 in order to suppress the heavy AIF fire. Sergeant Hester followed Staff Sergeant Nein to the right side berm and threw two well placed fragmentation grenades into the trench eliminating the AIF threat. Sergeant Hester and Staff Sergeant Nein went over the berm into the trench and began clearing the trench with their M4s. Sergeant Hester engaged and eliminated three AIF to her front with her M4. They then made their way to the front trench and cleared that as well. After clearing the front trench cease fire was called and she began securing the ambush site. The final result of the ambush was 27 AIF KIA (killed in action), 6 AIF WIA (wounded in action), and one AIF captured.

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Old Sarge! Great to see you this evening!



"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[left that other site]

Hi everybody!

((((HUGS)))

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, laplata...((HUGS))...hope you had a nice, relaxing weekend.

The sun has just now come out for the day and the new 8-10” of snow shows signs of starting to melt.

[ConorMacNessa]

A good day, thanks! We went into the low 70's today - 65 at this hour. Tuesday will likely be our first day in the 80's.

Getting ready for another battle with traffic in the a.m.

On a totally different topic, gas is going for about $3.60 per gallon here. In the West End of Downtown D.C., across the street from my office, it's $4.59 for a gallon of regular. We shop at Safeway for our groceries and they have a promotion now for money off your gas bill at Exxon and Mobil. Yesterday I filled my tank for a mere $2.55/Gal. We buy enough groceries every week to qualify for the maximum $1.00 per gallon discount.

WOOHOO!!!



"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thanks for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, mountainlion....thanks for bringing this warrior to our attention.

She certainly did her job, and did it well.

[laplata]

Good evening, Kathy. I hope it melts in the right spots so you won’t need to shovel there. LOL

[ConorMacNessa]

ENJOY YOUR FREEDOM?



THANK YOUR VETS . . .



. . . AND YOUR SERVING MILITARY!!

THEY HAVE OUR SIX!!!!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[laplata]

Thanks, Conor. And to you, Brother!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Woohoo!!! What a deal! Hope your passage to and fro goes better this week.

I filled, almost, the suburban last week. The pump shuts off at $100. Gas is between 3.85 and 3.89.
Filling my car is bad enough.

[ConorMacNessa]

WOW!!!

How many gallons does that beast hold? My van has a twenty gallon tank - so far, I've only gone over $70.00 once or twice.



"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Sarge...((HUGS))...thanks for sharing your experiences with the Raven 42 story and how it was used.

Is The Bride all better? Good health returned?

[ConorMacNessa]

I still have a few tricks up my sleeve as to the route home. I got caught in a right-turn-only lane at the corner of M St. and Wisconsin Avenue Friday evening. Had not been by that way recently and got tripped up by a change in traffic pattern. That totally screwed things up.

Tomorrow, I will use the old ways! Down to K St. and either out the Whitehurst Freeway, or over to Rock Creek Parkway, past the horse trails once ridden by Teddy Roosevelt. That's the ticket!



"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Old Sarge]

The stress test and EKG came back negative. We don’t know WHAT triggered her episode last week.

And now, she has pink eye...

[ConorMacNessa]

AMERICA
LAND OF THE FREE . . .

BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE!!!!

SEMPER FI AND OORAH!!!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Woohoo!!!! Happy homeownership to them!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, Mac, for the Missing Man Setting as we remember those who have given their all that we may gather safe and secure.

[Kathy in Alaska]

WOW! What a trip. Be safe!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Oh no, and pink eye is contagious...be careful!

[luvie]

Thanks, galz, for this story of another wonderful American military hero! Exemplary!