Spec Monica Brown To Receive Silver Star

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A big salute to this lady: (h/t UrbanGrounds)

CAMP SALERNO, Afghanistan — A 19-year-old medic from Texas will become the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest medal for valor.

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province in April 2007, the military said.

After the explosion, which wounded five soldiers in her unit, Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away, the military said. spc_monica_lin_brown.jpg

“I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there,” Brown told The Associated Press on Saturday at a U.S. base in the eastern province of Khost.

Brown, of Lake Jackson, Texas, is scheduled to receive the Silver Star later this month. She was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia on April 25, 2007, when a bomb struck one of the Humvees.

“We stopped the convoy. I opened up my door and grabbed my aid bag,” Brown said.

She started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers had scrambled out.

“I assessed the patients to see how bad they were. We tried to move them to a safer location because we were still receiving incoming fire,” Brown said.

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“I did not really have time to be scared,” Brown said. “Running back to the vehicle, I was nervous (since) I did not know how badly the guys were injured. That was scary.”

The military said Brown’s “bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat.”

Well done soldier!

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well deserved I would say…. above and beyond the call of duty possibly…. even though she is a combat medic

I am guessing that was inter-branch humor, though you might want to be more specific.

Actually, I think many of our medics, medivac pilots, and Service Member in general deserve Silver Stars and I think more than a few Medals of Honor for what they do daily.

As a former Army combat medic, it’s easy for me to recognize why a fellow corpsman would be so honored. Remember, folks; when a medic is under fire, he/she is considered a non-combatant. That means a medic can only return fire to protect a patient. In reality, during any combat situation with casualties, no medics performing patient care have the time to return fire. There is simply too much to concentrate on while saving lives.

Operationally, medics aren’t even supposed to begin patient care until an area is secure. The reason for this is a practical one: losing a medic deals a serious blow to the supportability of any tactical unit, and they are hard to replace.

Most medics disregard this when lives are on the line, so as a matter of course they are always “above and beyond the call of duty”.

Sounds pretty heroic to me.

Well done, Monica…

~V~

I’ve noticed how many medics and Navy corpsmen have been awarded medals for bravery. And the Brits had a gal named Michelle Norris who did ok, too.

This is a great thing for me to hear. You see, I have just recently retired and was a 1SG for one of the training companies that trained the Army Medics and sent them off to battle. The fact of the matter is…I was there as a 1SG when she came through for her training. It makes me rest well at night knowing that those Soldiers over there are doing what we trained them to do…SAVE LIVES!!!! Great job Soldier…If I could only know what company she was trained in…I would forward the info to her old 1SG…I am sure they would be PROUD of her as well…

Old 1SG…

@1SG Retired:

Welcome and thank you. Most can only imagine being able to see a name in the news from one you personally knew, a reward for you indeed. Specialist Monica Brown is proof of your own good service. You both come from the best we have.

I have been an English professor for 50 years and currently. I grew up in Texas amid many armed forces installations, especially Fort Sam Houston. I am immensely proud of this fine young woman, who represents all the best in our troops and in all Americans.
Dr. Wm Clayton
Professor of English