Military association recognize Vanguard soldier for heroic actions in Afghanistan

Photo By Sgt. Joshua Laidacker | Joe Crews (right), president of the Savannah Area Military Officers Association, congratulates Spc. Zachary Grant, an infantryman with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, at the chapter’s local meeting in Savannah, Ga., Sept. 19, 2014. Grant has earned the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, for his personal courage and valorous actions, as well as the Purple Heart for his wound in combat, while in support of security operations with the Vanguard Brigade in eastern Afghanistan, October 2013. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Joshua Laidacker, 4th IBCT, 3rd ID, Public Affairs)  

SAVANNAH, GA, UNITED STATES

09.19.2014

Story by Sgt. Joshua Laidacker 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Spc. Zachary Grant, an infantryman with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was recognized by the Savannah Area Military Officers Association at the organization’s chapter meeting, Sept. 19, in Savannah for his heroic actions during the Vanguard Brigade’s combat tour in eastern Afghanistan.

“He was chosen through a process by Fort Stewart,” said Joe Crews, president of the Savannah Area Military Officers Association, or SAMOA, a local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.

On July 23, 2013, Grant and his platoon were attacked by an enemy force while on a security patrol in Wardak province, Afghanistan. During the initial attack a fellow infantryman and good friend of Grant, Spc. Travis Croxdale, was wounded and became stranded in a hostile spot.

Grant left his position of cover to drag Croxdale to relative safety while continuing to fire and suppress the enemy.

While Grant, a native of Crossville, Tennessee, applied a tourniquet to Croxdale’s leg, Grant sustained a gunshot wound in the arm and Croxdale was shot again. Grant performed self aid before moving back through enemy fire to inform his squad leader of Croxdale’s status. Grant then proceeded to provide cover fire to allow members of his squad to reach Croxdale and move him to a safer area to apply further medical care.

Grant continued to aggressively engage the enemy, who had come as close as 50 meters, until he was forcefully removed by his squad leader.

For his actions in the battle, Grant earned the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, for his personal courage and valorous actions, as well as the Purple Heart for his wound in combat. Grant was nominated by his leaders to be recognized by SAMOA, a nomination Grant said he tried to turn down and pass to others.

“I’m not the type of person who looks back and thinks ‘I’ve done something,’” Grant said. “I’m the type of person who looks forward and says ‘What’s next?’”

Crews said this was the first time the group has seized the opportunity to recognize wounded warriors and he plans to make it a tradition to bring Purple Heart recipients to the state’s convention to be recognized.

SAMOA will sponsor Grant at the Georgia Military Officers Association of America convention which is slated to be held at the end of October, on a cruise.

“This is a great program that we could host a wounded warrior and just give back to our soldiers,” said Crews.

The Military Officers Association of America has approximately 365,000 members and has 10 full time employees who advocate to congress for active, guard, reserve and retirees of all branches of the military added Crews.

• Date Taken: 09.19.2014
• Date Posted: 09.23.2014 09:54
• Story ID: 142979
• Location: SAVANNAH, GA, US
• Hometown: CROSSVILLE, TN, US
• Hometown: SAVANNAH, GA, US