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Task & Purpose: The Guardsman Who Saved His Crew From A Live Grenade Inside A Tank

January 22, 2015 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

January 22, 2015

http://taskandpurpose.com/unsung-heroes-guardsman-saved-crew-live-grenade-inside-tank/

“Clank,” went the first grenade, as it ricocheted off the tank’s turret.

The men knew the road they were on was dangerous. They were in the heart of Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. This was Saddam Hussein’s former stronghold and the insurgency was thriving here. This particular road had been nicknamed “IED Alley.”

It was Feb. 27, 2006, and tensions were high. Five days earlier, Sunni extremists had bombed the gilded dome of the Samarra’s Askariya shrine, an attack that would unleash devastating sectarian violence throughout the country.

American Sniper: Chris Kyle

December 26, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

One of the heroes from Valor, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, is being portrayed by Bradley Cooper in a major motion picture based on Chris’ own book. American Sniper hit selected theaters Christmas Day, elsewhere January 16.

To read more about Chris Kyle — including an incident that ISN’T recounted in his book — or to send a message to Chris’s parents, visit http://markleegreenblatt.com/chris-kyle/

To read more about my own experience working with Chris, visit http://markleegreenblatt.com/2014/04/reflections-chris-kyle/

Ten Years Ago Today: Todd Desgrosseilliers

December 23, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

“I wanted to protect my Marines and kill the enemy … in that order.”

On December 23, 2004, Major Todd Desgrosseilliers of the Marine Corps was in charge of dozens of Marines as part of Task Force Bruno. It was the Second Battle of Fallujah, Iraq.

“The task force was formed to go through and do detailed clearing, just behind the front lines,” he explained to Leatherneck Magazine. “We were usually two blocks back from where they were fighting.”

Five Years Ago Today: Ryan Ahern and Tom Bozzay

December 17, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

“Everybody who agrees to serve their country in a time of war to me has heroic qualities. But not everybody’s a hero. These guys are heroes.”

On December 17, 2009, Sergeant First Class Ryan Ahern and First Lieutenant Tom Bozzay of the Illinois Army National Guard were supporting a French regiment in Afghanistan’s Uzbeen valley. Bozzay was a physician assistant, while Ahern was a Senior Communications Sergeant.

The coalition soldiers came under attack from insurgents. Bozzay and Ahern are each credited with saving the lives of French and American teammates.

HERO UPDATE: Buck Doyle

December 11, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

I’m pleased to report that another hero from Valor, Buck Doyle, is doing well.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Buck worked as a Defense Department contractor for four years, advising and assisting combat units in Afghanistan. The company he founded, Follow Through Consulting, LLC, provides training for law enforcement, military units, and qualified civilians. Buck also provides consultation to companies in the areas of product development (military and civilian equipment), team building, and leadership. Buck currently lives in Utah with his wife and daughters.

Buck recently blogged about his reaction to my asking him, via his wife, to be interviewed for Valor a couple years ago. “The answer was easy: No. Actually, I think it was ‘Hell No.'” (Thank God he changed his mind!) Read Buck’s blog here: http://www.followthroughconsulting.com/blog/2014/11/11/veterans-day-reading-forbes-magazine-interviews-author-of-valor-unsung-heroes-from-iraq-afghanistan-and-the-home-front

Eleven Years Ago: Victor Thibeault and Danny Swank

December 3, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

“I wasn’t willing to take these people’s lives for some petty criminal – some terrorist.”

On December 3, 2003, Army Specialist Victor Thibeault was driving a Humvee through a crowded marketplace in Kandahar, Afghanistan. A friend of his, Sergeant Danny Swank, sat in the passenger’s seat. The men had been tasked with providing security for a coalition intelligence unit.

Suddenly, a man walked through the crowd and threw a live grenade into the Humvee. It bounced off Thibeault’s chest, slid between the two men, and lay on the floor.

Thibeault estimated that the grenade had a seven-second fuse.

Ten Years Ago Today: Mike McCarty

November 20, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

“I didn’t have much of a choice. Something had to be done about that machine gun.”

On November 20, 2004, First Lieutenant Mike McCarty of the Arkansas Army National Guard was leading a platoon of 26 men tasked as a Quick Reaction Force in the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad, Iraq.

McCarty received word that a nearby Iraqi police station was under attack from insurgents. He led his men to the site.

“As his platoon arrived in the attack zone,” explains an Arkansas State University account, “they were engaged by small arms fire, improvised explosive devices, and rocket propelled grenades.

Ten Years Ago Today: John Vanlandingham

November 14, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

“When he raised his hand, I was like, ‘Man, I’m going to have to go back out there.’”

On November 14, 2004, Army Captain John Vanlandingham of the Arkansas National Guard was leading a 10-vehicle convoy to an oil refinery in the heart of Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. Vanlandingham was an advisor to the Iraqi National Guard (ING), and was leading approximately 50 ING members in nine unarmored flatbed trucks.

The men had been sent to guard the oil refinery. But refinery workers, fearful of retaliation from insurgents, complained to the Iraqi Oil Ministry, which in turn sent Vanlandingham and his men away. The convoy headed back toward Camp Taji.

Poise in the Face of Adversity: What Our Troops Can Teach Us About Spotty WiFi, Starbucks Lines, and Bad Drivers

November 10, 2014 by Mark Greenblatt Leave a Comment

As we approach Veterans Day, our thoughts naturally turn to the men and women who have served our country and their sacrifices on our behalf. This year, let’s take it one step farther and contemplate what we civilians can learn from the experiences of our military men and women.

Even though most of us will never find ourselves in the crosshairs of a sniper’s rifle or in the blast zone of an improvised explosive device, we should take the time to understand what our troops experience and apply it to our own comfortable lives. Over the past six years, I have been fortunate to get to know a number of soldiers, sailors, and Marines as I researched and wrote my book Valor: Unsung Heroes from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front. Trust me: there is so much we can learn from them.

Ten Years Ago Today: Chad Cassady

November 9, 2014 by Lorianne Leave a Comment

“If they stayed out in the street when rounds were coming down, they were going to die.”

On November 9, 2004, Sergeant Chad Cassady of the Marine Corps was a sniper team leader involved in what is now known as the Second Battle of Fallujah.

The operation had begun one day earlier. Cassady and his fellow Marines, together with British and Iraqi troops, were pushing toward the city center in an effort to dislodge the insurgents who had taken control.

The insurgents were prepared for the assault and were fighting back.

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