10th Mtn. Div. Soldier survives gunshot wound to head

Photo By Spc. Jason Jordan | Staff Sgt. Michael Gingras was shot in the head while on patrol with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division's 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment in Ghazaliyah. Gingras, who is from New London, Conn. - was saved when the bullet failed to fully penetrate the Army's new Advanced Combat Helmet that he was wearing. Here, Gingras points to where the bullet hit his helmet. (U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jason Jordan)  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

07.06.2006

Courtesy Story

1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq " "If he had waited one more second, I would be dead right now. We never even heard the shot. The event was a real eye opener," said the Multi-National Division " Baghdad Soldier.

Staff Sgt. Michael Gingras, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, had been going "outside the wire" for nearly a year " never fully comprehending the danger he was in each day.

He said he now has a new outlook on life after surviving a gunshot to his helmet June 22 while his unit was dismounted in the Ghazaliyah area of Baghdad.

Gingras, a New London, Conn., native, and fellow Soldiers from the 1-87 Inf. Regt., were conducting a "meet and greet" operation in which they walk through a neighborhood, interact with the local citizens and build relationships with the local people.

As they moved about the streets, a young boy recognized Gingras and came to thank him for help he had given the child in the past.

"This young boy had tried to climb a fence one time in order to get a better look at us as we passed by his house," said Gingras. "He slipped and cut his finger in the process, and I was the one who cleaned him up and bandaged him."

Gingras went to one knee among a throng of children to accept the young boy's hug, and as he rose back to his feet, a bullet struck his helmet " the Army's new Advanced Combat Helmet.
"After I recovered from the shot and took shelter in the vehicle, I was in disbelief," said Gingras. "I had young Iraqi children all around me, and the enemy still decided to take a shot at me. It revealed just how careless the terrorist forces are towards their own people."

The incident was an eye-opener for the troops around Gingras, reminding them of the danger they face while on patrol.
"Something like this echoes the fact that your life is on the line every day, no matter how close you are to going home," said 1st Sgt. Michael Contreras, Company B, 1-87 Inf. "We are reminded to face each patrol as if it could be our last, and as leaders, we must continue to enforce safety and standards."

"I have complained about our body armor in the past, but now that it has saved my life, I have a new appreciation for the steps we take to ensure force protection," laughed Gingras. "I'll not complain any longer about this helmet."

Besides being shaken up and a little sore, he went back to work immediately " wanting to deal a psychological blow to his enemy.
"I took it personally when that bullet hit me in the head," he said. "My family knows, and they asked me why I continue to put myself in harm's way. But I am proud to be a Soldier, and I have a job to do. I knew the enemy might still be watching, and I wanted him to see me go right back to work."

• Date Taken: 07.06.2006
• Date Posted: 07.06.2006 13:21
• Story ID: 7068
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ