Knee Deep in the Hooah!

You all know that I am a *tad* biased when it comes to our brave Infantry men. The only vacations I can boast for the past couple of years has been regular trips to Ft. Benning to visit with Mike on family day, graduation day, and then later with Bryan. I am very proud of our Stryker soldiers and all that they have accomplished on their tours in Iraq. I am also eagerly awaiting the safe return of my soldier sometime later this year! This home will celebrate like there is no tomorrow when his feet hit American soil once again! Until then, I am keeping up with the Stryker brigades and their news at a great site called (none other than…) Stryker Brigade News. I found the following article linked there, and had to share it here. The last returning brigade (3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division) had 10 Silver Star recipients. Ten men from that Brigade have been awarded the 3rd highest award for Valor. Please read the article below and then make it a point to visit the Stryker Brigade News page to keep up with what’s going on with our Stryker soldiers.

Senate gives soldiers ‘long overdue’ acclaim

Christian Hill
The Olympian

(excerpt)

The state Senate took the rare step Friday of recognizing a Fort Lewis-based Stryker brigade that spent 15 months in Iraq, saying it served with “great distinction and honor.”

Sen. Rosa Franklin, a Tacoma Democrat and one of the sponsors of the resolution, said this is the first time in her memory that the Senate has “recognized these brave men and women in this way.”

“This day is long overdue,” Franklin said.

Col. David Funk, commander of the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, attended the reading, as did six of the 10 soldiers who received the Silver Star for heroic acts. The resolution passed unanimously, and senators and gallery crowd gave the recipients two standing ovations.

Senate Resolution 8709 honors the service of the 3,800 soldiers assigned to the brigade, which fought in some of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. It honors the sacrifice of the 48 soldiers killed during deployment and the 700 injured. The brigade returned home in September.

LINK to entire article

Silver Star recipients
The Olympian

The Silver Star recipients are:
Spc. Gildardo Cebreros,
Staff Sgt. Ismael Iban-Cordero,
Staff Sgt. Jon Hilliard,
Staff Sgt. Shawn McGuire,
Sgt. Steven Peters and
Staff Sgt. David Plush.
Maj. Brent Clemmer,
Staff Sgt. Mark Grover
Spc. Curtis Lundgren.

Taken from The Olympian

The Silver Star was posthumously awarded to Sgt. Jason Harkins, who was killed May 6, nearly two months after actions that earned him the military decoration.