Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Neysa Canfield | U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Thomas S. James Jr., left, commander of 1st U.S. Army, Former U.S....... read more read more
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – On the morning of Oct. 3, 2009, 1st Lt. Andrew Bundermann and the Soldiers of Bravo Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were woken up by the sound of mortar and small arms fire near their combat outpost in Afghanistan.
In his Army Physical Fitness Shorts and flip flops, Bundermann, in the in the absence of the B Troop commander, took charge of the troop and began to coordinate external communication.
“It’s really happening it’s not a joke, it’s not training, it’s not a movie, it’s not fake,” said Bundermann, describing the day of the attack. “This is actually happening.”
That would be the start of the Battle of Kamdesh, the battle between the 54 Soldiers on COP Keating and over 300 Taliban forces.
“The most critical decision we made [that day], was when we said we can no longer be on the defensive side of the back initiative and get into an offensive posture,” he said. “Whether radio, hands, yelling, screaming, whatever it is, communication was always key.”
After 13-hours of battle the Soldiers of B Troop, successfully defended their post but ultimately lost eight Soldiers: Justin Gallegos, Christopher Griffin, Kevin Thomson, Michael Scusa, Vernon Martin, Stephan Mace, Joshua Kirk and Joshua M. Hardt.
Nearly ten years after the attack, the Minnesota Native stood in front of his Family and friends on the stage of the Northrop Auditorium, where he once stood as University of Minnesota student and Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet, to receive the Distinguished Service Cross on March 7.
Bundermann, who was originally awarded the Silver Star for his actions in the Battle of Kamdesh, was one of 12 upgrades from a Silver Star to the DSC, the second-highest award for valor. The upgrades were part of a Pentagon-wide review of combat awards given after Sept. 11, 2001, launched by former Defense Secretary Ash Carter.
“I’m extremely privileged and happy to be part of [this], but most importantly it’s a great opportunity to honor those eight gentlemen every day,” said Bundermann. “I am very proud of every single one of them and everything they did. I am very proud of that team.”
Bundermann added that he’s happy to see the Soldiers and the unit continue to receive recognition for the work and bravery they displayed that day.
“It’s theirs more than it is mine,” he said, about the award. “I just happen to be the person that’s standing [on the stage] to get it.”
However, for U.S. Army Maj. Stoney L. Portis, the commander of B Troop at the time, it was important to recognize Bundermann’s leadership.
“When I heard that Andrew’s award was getting upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, I was relieved and proud to know that the Army saw Andrew’s heroism during the battle of Kamdesh in much the same way that our Soldiers and I have ever since…he was absolutely indispensable,” he said.
Receiving the award in the city of Minneapolis, wasn’t only momentous to Bundermann and his Family but also to University of Minnesota ROTC community.
According to ROTC Cadet Hannah Thompson, a Howard Lake, Minnesota native, being part of the same program that Bundermann was once a part of is an honor.
“We are all doing the same things that he did as he was learning [to be an officer] and hopefully we can follow in his footsteps one day,” she said.
As Thompson enters her senior year at UoM she said she is using Bundermann as an example of how to be a good leader.
“You want to be the best officer you can be but you have to realize that there are [Soldiers] underneath you that are willing to risk their lives … and follow you into combat, [Bundermann] is a great example of that.”
Bundermann, now a regional manager for a consumer package goods company, said he misses certain aspects of the U.S. Army.
“I remember all the great things the Army has to offer and joining the Army is still the best decision I made and I can’t say it enough about how much I love that organization.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2019 15:35 |
| Story ID: | 313842 |
| Location: | MINNEAPOLIS, MN, US |
| Hometown: | BOVEY, MN, US |
| Hometown: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 220 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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