Posted on 02/09/2005 5:19:34 AM PST by Eurotwit
Norwegian special forces which served in Afghanistan, have received the Navy Presidential Unit Citationer.
The honours were presented by US Ambassador to Norway, John Doyle Ong, on behalf of President Bush.
The Navy Presidential Unit Citationer were given to soldiers from special Army and Navy units which served as part of the international coalition forces in operation Enduring Freedom from December 2001 till April 2002.
It is the first time since the Vietnam War that this distinction has been given to a special force unit.
- This shows that the Norwegian forces have been appreciated and noticed. It also shows that we do an excellent job in multinational coalition forces, said Defence Chief Sigurd Frisvold after the ceremony.
It is the first time a Norwegian unit receives this distinction.
(NRK)
Rolleiv Solholm
The Navy Presidential Unit Citation was established by Executive Order 9050 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 6, 1942, and promulgated by Navy Department General Order Number 187 of February 3, 1943.
Effective Dates
The Navy Presidential Unit Citation has been in effect since October 16, 1941.
Criteria
The Navy Presidential Unit Citation is awarded in the name of the President to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. The unit must have accomplished its mission under such extremely difficult and hazardous conditions to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would be required for award of a Navy Cross to an individual.
Order of Precedence
The Navy Presidential Unit Citation is worn after the Combat Action Ribbon and before the Joint Meritorious Unit Award.
Devices
Bronze and silver stars three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. Subsequent award of the Presidential Unit Citation are currently denoted by bronze stars three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter; a silver star three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter is worn in lieu of five bronze stars.
-- Blue stars three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter (now obsolete) were initially used to denote second and subsequent awards.
-- A gold block letter N was authorized for wear on the Navy Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the crew of the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) for service between July 22 and August 5, 1958.
-- A bronze globe was authorized for wear on the Navy Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the crew of the USS Triton (SSN 586) for service between February 16 and May 10, 1960.
ping
Thank you Norway.
Bump, Congratulations and Thank you !
Pretty impressive. Many thanks to Norway.
Word was that Sec. Rumsfeld was extraordinarily impressed by their performance in Afghanistan.
Though, pretty much nothing is made public, I think they played a significant role for instance in operation Anaconda.
Great job. I just hope those men are treated honorably by their countrymen after these ceremonies and public accolades from the hated President Bush.
I wonder what they did? I'd like to read the citation.
Thank you, Norway!!!!
We lift an aquavit and a herring to our Norwegian friends. They've been solid, if quiet, allies for many years.
E,
Ah. I guess I'll have to wait for the book.
Well, yes, of course, probably they deserved such recognition, but I am confused as to why it took so long.
And about how many men are involved, or is that one of those "military secrets"--25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000?
Of course America--and Iraq and Afghanistan and anywhere there are people yearning to breathe freely--thanks Norway.
it takes a while for these things to work their way through the right channels. A recent story about the ceremony follows:
MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, MIRAMAR, Calif. (NNS) -- President Bush awarded the Presidential Unit Citation to members of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – SOUTH/Task Force K-BAR (CJSOTF-SOUTH/TF K-BAR) Dec. 7 during a private ceremony for their heroic efforts while serving in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from October 2001 to March 2002.
Capt. Robert Harward commanded the CJSOTF-SOUTH, which was established in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Task Force was comprised of U.S. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, Land), Special Warfare Combatant-craft crewmen, U.S. Army Special Forces, U.S. Air Force Combat Controllers, and Coalition special operations forces from Canada, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Turkey.
The Citation was presented to the Task Force on the same day that President Hamid Karzai was sworn in as President of Afghanistan.
“The tremendous successes achieved by the Task Force during the first six months of OEF paved the way for this day,” said Rear Adm. Joseph Maguire, commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, referring to the swearing in of President Karzai.
The CJSOTF-SOUTH initially operated from Oman, and then moved forward to locations in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan. Its primary mission was to destroy, degrade, and neutralize the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership and military.
During its six-month existence, Task Force K-BAR was the driving force behind myriad combat operations. These extremely high-risk missions set a powerful precedent, and included search and rescue; recovery dive operations; boardings of high-interest, non-compliant vessels; special reconnaissance; sensitive site exploitation; direct action; hydrographic reconnaissance; destruction of multiple cave and tunnel complexes; apprehension of military and political detainees; identification and destruction of Al Qaeda training camps; explosion of thousands of pounds of enemy ordnance; and successful coordination of unconventional warfare operations for Afghanistan.
The warriors of CJSOTF/TF K-BAR established an unprecedented 100 percent mission success rate across a broad spectrum of special operations missions under extremely difficult and constantly dangerous conditions.
Navy Secretary Gordon England, who was the approving authority for the award, Vice Adm. Bert Calland, and U.S. and coalition forces were also present at the ceremony.
In the citation accompanying the award, England praised them for “their outstanding courage, resourcefulness, and aggressive fighting spirit in combat against a well equipped, well trained and treacherous terrorist enemy.”
Additionally, England said, “They established benchmark standards of professionalism, tenacity, courage, tactical brilliance, and operational excellence.”
This event marks the first time since the Vietnam era that a Naval Special Warfare unit received this award.
The Navy Presidential Unit Citation was established by Executive Order 9050, which was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt Feb. 6, 1942, and promulgated by Navy Department General Order Number 187 Feb. 3, 1943.
According to Navy regulations, “The Navy Presidential Unit Citation is awarded in the name of the President to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy. The unit must have accomplished its mission under such extremely difficult and hazardous conditions to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would be required for award of a Navy Cross to an individual."
The regulation further stipulates that “Presently, the Navy Cross is awarded to a person who distinguishes himself or herself by extraordinary heroism not justifying the award of the Medal of Honor. To warrant this distinctive decoration, the act or the execution of duty must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk.”
Thanks to Norway for a job well done.
A heartfelt thank you to Norway. And thank you for posting this. I like seeing the recognition to these allies by name, not just "the coalition". They have risked just as much as anyone.
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