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Breaking News The
following news items are for information purposes and will not be
archived:
United States - Medalsmark Navy corpsman's courageTwo
Bronze Stars and a Navy Commendation Medal, all for valor, are
commonplace at awards ceremonies these days. But when the three medals
are pinned on the chest of a single person — who also is
meritoriously
promoted — people notice. Petty Officer 3rd Class William J.
Harris, a
Navy corpsman, stood at attention as he was lauded for his heroics in
Afghanistan. “HM3 Harris proves you can not only do the
right thing
once, but you can do it continually,” Maj. Gen. Raymond C. Fox,
commanding general of 1st Marine Air Wing, told the more than 200
Marines and sailors in attendance. The three medals were for
separate
actions against hostile forces while Harris was assigned to Embedded
Training Team 5-4 to assist the Afghanistan National
Army. According to
his first Bronze Star citation, Harris participated in more than 60
combat operations and was involved in more than 50 engagements with
enemy forces. On Jan. 17, 2009, Harris provided heavy machine gun
fire
to ward off insurgents who were closing in on a downed CH-47 in the
Korengal Valley. “[The insurgents] rushed the aircraft to
see if there were any survivors,” the 24-year-old Monroe, Mich.,
native recalled. He “jumped up on the guns” and kept
the enemy at bay, allowing helicopters to evacuate the
casualties. The
Navy Commendation Medal was pinned on for moving an Afghan National
Army element “to a safe and covered location allowing them more
effective engagements with numerous enemy force positions” during
a
firefight July 1, according to the citation. During the same battle, he
treated a wounded Afghan soldier and brought him to safety. But
Harris wasn’t done. On
July 30 he “risked his own life to move 400 meters under heavy
fire to
secure and treat a wounded U.S. Army soldier,” his second Bronze
Star
citation reads. He then organized a litter team and led it more
than
500 meters, again under heavy fire, to a secure location where he
provided first aid until the soldier could be
evacuated. “Harris was an
astonishing warrior and sailor throughout his entire ETT deployment to
Afghanistan,” Capt. John Farris, Harris’ officer in charge
in
Afghanistan, said in an e-mail from Hawaii. “The bottom line is
that
what led Harris to his receiving three awards at once was his
leadership and courage during the most ferocious of times.” stripes.com 4 Feb 10
Philippines - 2 cops in Greenbelt heist awarded at PNP anniversary For
repulsing members of a robbery syndicate who stormed a ritzy mall in
Makati City last year, two Taguig City policemen were cited for their
bravery during the 19th anniversary celebration of the Philippine
National Police. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo presented the PNP Bravery Medal to SPO1 Cesar Tiglao and PO1 Efren Ceniza Jr. Tiglao
and Ceniza, who were then providing security to Taguig Mayor Freddie
Tinga, shot it out and killed a member of the notorious Alvin Flores Group
who robbed the Rolex store in Greenbelt 5 on Oct. 18, 2009. The
President pinned the same medal to Inspector Christopher Obien who
repelled robbers who held up a passenger bus along EDSA on May 21.
newsinfo.inquirer.net 29 Jan 10
United States - Female airman killed by IED awardedmedalAir Force 1st Lt. Roslyn L. Schulte was posthumously awarded the National Intelligence Medal for Valorfor
her efforts to teach Afghan military officials how to gather and
interpret military intelligence. She died in May in Afghanistan when an
improvised explosive device struck her vehicle en route to a Bagram
Airfield meeting on the very issue that powers the IC: sharing
intelligence. Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair
made
the announcement at a quarterly National Intelligence Community Awards
Ceremony, where he also recognized 42 other teams and individuals for
outstanding accomplishments in the IC. Schulte is the first woman to
receive the Medal for Valor, a tribute to heroism in connection with an
IC contribution to national security. Among IC awards, the Medal for
Valor is second only to the Intelligence Cross. Schulte’s
parents,
Robert and Susie, and her brother, Todd, attended the event on her
behalf. In three months of duty in Afghanistan, she “made a
far-reaching impact on how intelligence was taught and shared with the
Afghan National Army,” said Blair, speaking from the headquarters
of
the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Schulte, he added,
was “wise beyond her 25 years, and respected as a leader by all
those
around her — from general to airman to Afghan tribal leader
—
regardless of the branch of service, regardless of
nationality.” A 2006
graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, she was an intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance operations officer assigned to the
613th Air and Space Operations Center at Hickam Air Force Base in
Hawaii. She was deployed to Afghanistan in February 2009, serving the
Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. In addition to
her
teaching duties, Schulte was the command’s foreign disclosure
officer,
working to enhance information sharing with Afghan forces. She was
often required to travel outside of her main base at Camp Eggers in
Kabul, Afghanistan, to more remote parts of the region. Originally
from the St. Louis, Mo., area, she was the first female graduate of the
academy to be killed by an enemy combatant. airforcetimes.com 22
Jan 10
Cuba - Medalfrom Cuba for ex-AmbassadorFormer Honduran Ambassador to Cuba from the government of Manuel Zelaya, received the “Friendship Medal” from that country; a distinction awarded by the Cuban Council of State. Former
Honduran diplomat, Juan Ramon Elvir Salgado, thanked the Cubans for
their friendship and stated he regretted not having concluded the
matters of bilateral cooperation. Elvir Salgado, ambassador since 2007,
recalled different cooperation projects agreed to by Honduras and Cuba,
which addressed areas of literacy, energy saving and health care
programs. honduras.news.com 8 Feb 10
The
following news items are for information purposes and will not be
archived:
Malta - USdecorationfor AFM brigadierThe former commander of the AFM, Carmel Vassallo, was awarded the prestigious Legion of Merit Degree of Commander by US Ambassador Douglas Kmiec. Brigadier
Vassallo is the first Maltese recipient of one of the highest honours
bestowed by the United States on non-US citizens. The award, signed by
US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, is given to individuals
displaying exceptional meritorious conduct in the performance of
outstanding services and achievement. Over
the past years, the US Embassy has worked closely with the AFM, in
particular its Search and Rescue Training Centre, which has become an
example of best practices in protecting Malta and the EU from illegal
trafficking in humans, the flow of weapons of mass destruction, and
preventing terrorism.di-ve.com 26 Jan 10
Brunei - His Majesty consents to bestow a statedecorationto the Chief of Staff of the...His
Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and
Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the Minister of Defence and
Supreme Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces, RBAF, consented to
bestow a state decoration to the Chief of Staff of the Republic of the
Philippines Armed Forces, His Excellency General Victor Sabio
Ibrado. His Majesty consented to bestow The Most Exalted Order of Paduka Keberanian Laila Terbilang, First Class, DPKT, which carries the title of Dato Paduka Seri to His Excellency General Victor Sabio Ibrado.His
Excellency General Dato Paduka Seri Victor Sabio Ibrado is in the
country on a two-day introductory visit. It is aimed at strengthening
the friendly relations and extending the importance of defence
cooperation between the two countries as well as between the respective
armed forces. rtbnews.rtb.gov.bn 22 Jan 10
Ukraine -Pres Yushchenko gives Stepan Bandera highest medal On Jan. 22, the Unity Day of Ukraine, Pres Yushchenko posthumously awarded the highest decoration of the land, Hero of Ukraine, to the WWII leader of Ukrainian nationalists Stepan Bandera.According
to the words of the presidential decree, S. Bandera was awarded
“for his unbreakable spirit in defending the national interests
of Ukraine, heroism and self-sacrifice in the struggle for the
independence of Ukraine.”Yushchenko’s
award has been eagerly expected in Western Ukraine, with several oblast
legislatures voting to urge the incumbent to glorify S. Bandera.The
decision is expected to provoke strong criticism from the Communists
and the Party of Regions who, sharing the Soviet propaganda myths,
continue to castigate Stepan Bander as their enemy. ziik.com.ua 22 Jan10
Australia - Rare Korean Warmedaldonated to memorialA
rare medal issued to an Australian pilot during the Korean War has been
donated to the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra. Lieutenant Guy Beange (later Commander Beange) was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
in 1952 for flying Sea Fury aircraft from HMAS Sydney during the
war. HMAS Sydney served in Korea between October 1951 and January 1952,
with pilots flying hundreds of sorties. AWM curator Nick Fletcher says
Commander Beange was one of only three Royal Australian Navy pilots to
receive the award in the conflict. Born
in New Zealand, Beange served in the NZ army during World War II. He
later joined the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve and trained
as a carrier pilot in England and the United States. In 1948 he
transferred to the Royal Australian Navy and was posted to 808 Squadron
on HMAS Sydney. He later became a commander and was posted to a number
of shore-based positions before retiring in 1979. He died in 2004. Commander
Beange's 13 medals - including the Distinguished Service Cross - are
now on display in the AWM's aircraft hall beside a Sea Fury. abc.net.au 22 Jan 10
Afghanistan - Afghan National Army Commando Recognized forBraveryin Kabul AttacksLess
than five days after he helped stop one of the largest insurgent
attacks on Kabul since October, a member of the Afghan National Army
6th Kandak commando unit was recognized for his bravery by the ANA
Chief of Staff. For his bravery and actions that day, General Bismillah
Khan Mohammadi presented 1st Lt. Mentaz with a promotion and the Baryal Medal 1st State. Mentaz
shot and killed a suicide bomber before the bomber could detonate his
vest preventing potentially significant loss of life and damage. dvidshub.net 24 Jan 10
Kyrgzstan - Turkey's TIKA coordinator awarded Kyrgyzstan'smedalKyrgyzstan's
parliament decorated Dr. Tayfun Atmaca, the Bishkek Coordinator of the
Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TIKA), with the "70th anniversary of the Parliament medal" for his successful contributions to Kyrgyzstan.TIKA
is the Turkish government's development cooperation agency. TIKA has
coordination offices in 20 countries and operates in many countries
across Africa, Asia and Europe, delivering development assistance to
partner countries through its projects and activities. worldbulletin.net 26 Jan 10
The
following news items are for information purposes and will not be
archived:
United States - Major Steven Hall Receives Soldier'sMedal, Highest Peacetime AwardMajor Steven Hall and Chief Warrant Officer Ricky Bullinger received the Solider's Medal
for risking their lives to help rescue a woman who was in danger of
drowning or electrocution at the Lake Hamilton Resort in Hot
Springs. "On August 23, 2008, the Garland County Sheriff's
Department responded to an electrocution/drowning at the Lake Hamilton
Resort on Lake Hamilton. "Three people, a fourteen-year-old girl, a
seven-year-old boy, and a forty year-old woman were swimming in the
lake by the dock area when the automatic lights came on. A short caused
the dock and water to become electrified. Major
Steven Hall and CWO Bullinger were in the dock area and heard the
screaming. Major Hall jumped into the water and was shocked to the
point that his muscles were paralyzed and he sank. Major Hall was able
to come back up to the top of the water and assist CWO Bullinger with a
rescue of the woman who was stuck on a metal ladder on the dock. CWO
Bullinger said he touched the lady and was shocked. They were able to
break the woman free from the ladder with Bullinger stating he received
a bad shock from this action. They were also able to rescue the woman's
son. Major Hall was still in the water trying to find the
fourteen-year-old girl, Sara Crotts. CWO Bullinger joined Major Hall in
the water to look for the girl. They continued diving for about 15
minutes but were unable to find her, and each time they entered the
water, they were shocked. ashleycountyledger.com 11 Jan 10
Georgia - McCain becomes National Hero of GeorgiaGeorgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili decorated visiting US Senator and former
presidential candidate John McCain with the country's highest state
honour, declaring him a national hero. At a ceremony in Georgia's Black
Sea city of Batumi, Saakashvili lavished praise on McCain for his
strong support of Georgia during the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war. The US senator was awarded with the Order of the National Hero of Georgia. "A
friend in need is a friend indeed. Georgia is a free country today ...
because of our friends' support," Saakashvili said in comments
broadcast on Georgian television. "John McCain demonstrated heroism for America and for Georgia." Saakashvili
said McCain called him during the war and told him "not to surrender
and not to say no to freedom" when "some well-known world figures were
telling us to stop resistance." "He told me: 'we will stand by Georgia and we will all be Georgians." rt.com 11 Jan 10
Kosovo - Medal Awarded The President of Republic of Kosovo, Dr. Fatmir Sejdiu has awarded the Golden Medal of Independence to the President of Republic of Croatia. ISRIA 10 Jan 10
The
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archived:
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