Posted on 11/02/2002 9:04:13 AM PST by Ranger
SAS soldiers who fought in Afghanistan will be awarded some of Britain’s highest military honours at a secret ceremony to be held at Buckingham Palace this week.
At least six frontline SAS troops and several of their commanding officers are to receive gallantry medals in recognition of their heroism under fire against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
At least one SAS soldier narrowly missed being awarded the most distinguished military honour, the Victoria Cross. He and others will instead collect honours including Distinguished Service awards and Military Crosses. Some will collect the medals this week but others are on assignments abroad.
Most of the troopers, including a regimental sergeant major, have been awarded the medals for their heroism in a series of gunfights around an Al-Qaeda camp near Kandahar last December.
At least one will be decorated for his role in rescuing a CIA officer during a battle at Qala-i-Janghi fort near Mazar-i-Sharif that month.
He and others are also expected to receive gallantry medals from the American government.
Because of the need for secrecy the SAS medals will be concealed among hundreds of Afghan war honours to be announced by the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Office and Downing Street on Tuesday.
Details of the SAS awards will not be revealed publicly, in line with official MoD policy which is never to comment on the role of special forces.
However, it is understood that the highest award will go to the leader of one of the two SAS squadrons that went to Afghanistan last winter.
The regimental sergeant major, who is married with children, was shot at least twice as he led his men in an attack on a network of Al-Qaeda bunkers and caves.
He abandoned his position behind the firing line and rushed forward to lead his troops into battle when they were surprised by the enemy.
Sources claim he ran out of ammunition during the battle and he and his men had to resort to hand-to-hand fighting. His decision is said to have proved extremely valuable to the operation, which was deemed a great success.
Because of his battle injuries he is now understood to be carrying out duties at the SAS regimental headquarters near Hereford.
SAS insiders say they are disappointed that he will not be receiving the Victoria Cross. If he had been awarded the medal he would have become the first SAS man to receive the medal since the second world war.
But it is understood that senior officers vetoed the idea. “There was quite a lot of excitement in the regiment about the prospect of him getting the VC,” said one former SAS man. “There was a feeling that the regiment was long overdue one.”
Of the estimated SAS contingent of 150 soldiers and officers in Afghanistan, more than 24 soldiers had their names put forward for gallantry medals.
The awards will also provide a morale boost for the regiment as it prepares for another possible conflict in Iraq.
Brave bunch of guys. It's great to have allies of this caliber in the ongoing war against the islamofascists.
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