Photo By Spc. Courtney Marulli | Sgt. 1st Class Jefferson E. Pridgen, a native of Lakeland, Fla., and member of 3rd...... read more read more
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By Spc. Courtney Marulli
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division Public Affairs
FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq - Not every Soldier is willing to rush into a hail storm of bullets to help another. With the sky raining lead, two Soldiers gave their all to help a fallen comrade, even at the risk of their own lives.
The Soldiers are with 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, and they made their mark on Operation Iraqi Freedom through courage and a caring hand. Each Soldier received the Army Commendation Medal with "V" device for valor.
Sgt. 1st Class Jefferson E. Pridgen, a native of Lakeland, Fla., who currently resides in Rush, Colo., is with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3-61 Cavalry and was the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Military Transition Team for the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division at the time of the incident that earned him the ARCOM for valor.
Sgt. David J. Pring III, a native of Erie, Pa., also with HHT, was the medic for the Military Transition Team.
Pridgen and Pring were together when they earned their awards. On Nov. 29, 2006, both Soldiers were out in Al Fadhl for an offensive operation with the 2-2-6th Iraqi Army. At approximately 6 a.m., they came under enemy fire and decided to regroup for a second offensive moving down another route.
Pridgen said they took machine gun, rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire when they came down the road. He said they were taking fire on both sides of their convoy. One Iraqi army soldier was shot and fell in the firefight. His fellow Iraqi's were dragging him away, Pridgen said, but they were taking heavy fire and were unable to secure him.
Dismounting, Pridgen began coordinating a defensive strategy with the Iraqis. Pring exited the vehicle, as well, and together they dragged the wounded Iraqi soldier to an eight-by-six foot area under a balcony.
Pring started working on the soldier and found that he still had a pulse, despite being weak. Pridgen, providing cover for Pring and noticed three insurgents coming around a corner about 20 to 30 feet away. He eliminated the threat and then laid his weapon down to help Pring.
They cut the wounded soldier's pants off in order to find the wound. There was a lot of blood and Pridgen said Pring noticed that an artery was cut in his leg. Pring was searching and when he found the wound he signaled for Pridgen to place a bandage.
For the next six hours they remained in a firefight. The Iraqi soldier was taken to get aid and lived. He is currently back in action.
"Pring didn't get off one round because he was too busy working on that guy," Pridgen said. "He's a confident medical provider. He's totally dedicated to his job."
Pridgen said he went through two or three magazines during that time and Pring just kept giving aid to those who needed it.
"It felt like it took 20 minutes, but we were working on him for five minutes," Pridgen said.
His fellow Iraqis initially took the soldier to a local Sunni hospital. Pridgen said they thought he was going to die since he was a Shiite and in the Iraqi army. He was then taken to Medical City, Pridgen said.
"We wanted to get birds (helicopters) and take him to the CSH (combat support hospital)," he said.
Pridgen said he doesn't look at it as though he helped an Iraqi. To him, he and Pring helped their fellow soldier.
"Just because these soldiers aren't American doesn't mean he's going to treat them less than he would an American Soldier," Pridgen said. He said as a non-commissioned officer, it is his duty to take care of his troops by giving them his time, leadership and anything else they may need.
During the incident, Pridgen said about 20 Iraqi army soldiers came over to their fellow comrade. But, he said they don't understand the concept of telling someone it's going to be okay. So he told them to console their fallen comrade.
Pridgen said once you prove that you are a true non-commissioned officer and are really going to take care of your Soldiers, no matter what country they are from, they listen to you and are dedicated.
"I've had Iraqis pick up a live grenade and throw it away from me," Pridgen said.
Pring instilled the trust of the American medics in the Iraqis. Pridgen said the Iraqis would always bring Pring to look over a person even though there were doctors on hand.
"They had that combat trust," he said. The MiTT members went to hospitals in Medical City and visited all the wounded Iraqi army soldiers.
Pridgen said it's been hard to build up that combat bond and then break it to return to a coalition unit. He said the MiTT and the Iraqi army were in about 30 firefights during their time together. Their bond was forged in combat.
"To leave there and come back to a regular line unit feels like you're leaving Soldiers in combat," he said.
Pridgen said some people call it "going native," but he said you just have to be a very emotionally secure person to bond with people of another country, or anyone. He said when you do that you can have a really good experience on a MiTT team.
Pridgen said Pring and another medic gave the Iraqis combat lifesaving classes and emphasized having medics on the ground. That training led the Iraqis to employ their medics and ambulances more.
"A Soldier who has confidence in the medical personnel will fight harder," Pridgen said. "I would."
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 07.22.2007 11:03 |
| Story ID: | 11394 |
| Location: | RUSTAMIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 552 |
| Downloads: | 144 |
This work, Courage Under Fire 3-61 Cavalry Soldiers receive medals for Valor, by SPC Courtney Marulli, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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