Transcript MG Joseph K.F. Mansfield

1LT Alexander R. Nininger, Jr.
USMA Class of 1941
Killed in Action, Abucay, Bataan, Philippines, January 12, 1942 (age 23)
Born in Gainesville, Georgia and raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida “Sandy” was an athlete,
playing football, baseball, and tennis, but he also spoke French fluently, loved classical
music, and wrote poetry. At West Point, he played football on his company team.
As a high school student 1LT Nininger was a leader of the Key Club at his school. Key Club
International now annually awards the “Sandy Nininger Award” to high school seniors
throughout America who exemplify his character. Since 1946, several thousand Sandy
Nininger Medals have been presented.
1LT Nininger graduated near the top of his class at West Point and was commissioned in
the Infantry. He asked for service in the Philippines and was sent to the Philippines attached
to the 57th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Scouts. During the first month of the
Japanese invasion of the Philippines, 1LT Nininger’s unit helped prepare American defenses
in Bataan. After the Japanese launched their assault on Bataan, 1LT Nininger voluntarily
joined another company because his unit was not yet engaged in combat. He attached
himself to Company K, while that unit was being attacked by enemy force superior in
firepower. Exposed to heavy enemy fire, he continued to attack with rifle and hand grenades
and succeeded in destroying several enemy snipers and groups in foxholes. Although
wounded three times, he continued his attacks until he was killed after pushing alone far
within the enemy position. 1LT Nininger was killed near Abucay, Bataan on January 12, 1942,
just shy of his 24th birthday. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his
actions and became the first American Army Soldier to be so honored in the Second World
War.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, 1LT Nininger was awarded a Purple Heart with 2 Oak
Leaf Clusters. The First Division of Cadet Barracks at West Point is named for him, and the
West Point Association of Graduates established The Alexander R. Nininger Award for Valor
at Arms in his honor, given to an exemplar of heroic action in battle. Other honors include
two transport ships named for Nininger: a T-APC-117 named Alexander R. Nininger, Jr. and a
Victory ship named USAT Lt. Alexander R. Nininger. His home town of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,
erected a statue in his honor and constructed the Alexander “Sandy” Nininger State
Veterans’ Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines, Florida. A rifle range at the Infantry School, Ft.
Benning, Georgia is also named for him.
CPT Paul C. Sawtelle
USMA Class of 1969
Killed in Action, Thua Thien Province, Vietnam, April 16, 1971 (age 24)
Paul Sawtelle was born in Memphis, Tennessee. In high school, he was the youngest in
his class and graduated in the top of the class. Too young to enter West Point, he enrolled
in the Sullivan Preparatory School in Washington, DC where he graduated first in his class.
At West Point, CPT Sawtelle was a leader in the Christian Science Organization, the
Academy Exchange Committee, First Captain’s Forum, Parachute Club, Rabble Rousers, and
Hop Managers. He was also the Executive Officer of the 2d Regiment for two of three
details as a First Classman.
In December 1969, CPT Sawtelle graduated from Ranger School, Class 6-70. He was
assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina until being transferred
to Vietnam. In August 1970, his initial assignment was with D Company, 1st Battalion,
327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), but his aim was to join the elite—the
Rangers. He volunteered for duty with L Company Rangers and after three months, joined
L Company, 75th Infantry (Ranger), 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) as a platoon leader.
On April 16, 1971, CPT Sawtelle led a combat patrol in the infamous Ashau Valley
located in Thua Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam. On the second day of the mission,
the Ranger Team engaged a large enemy reaction force. After an extended firefight, the
Ranger patrol was extracted by helicopters and used Cobra gunships to suppress enemy
fire. CPT Sawtelle was killed by enemy small arms fire while directing friendly fires of both
helicopter gunships and Ranger ground elements.
CPT Sawtelle was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart
among other commendations.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Commendation
Medal, Air Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Parachutist
Badge, Ranger Tab
MAJ Jason E. George
USMA Class of 1994
Died of Wounds, Baghdad, Iraq, May 21, 2009 (age 38)
Jason George was born in Tehachapi, California. MAJ George played tennis, baseball,
soccer, basketball, and football, and as a senior at Tehachapi High, kicked the winning
field goal in the finals of the Desert Inyo League Championships. He was an Eagle Scout,
and in high school he had an internship with NASA at Edwards Air Force Base. After a
year at Cal State Bakersfield, MAJ George was appointed to West Point where he was an
undefeated boxer.
MAJ George served eight years as a combat engineer and deployed to Bosnia before
being stationed in Savannah, Georgia. Upon leaving active duty in 2002, he earned an
MBA at the University of Michigan and worked as a healthcare consultant in Chicago.
During his time as a civilian, MAJ George served as an Army reservist, meeting his drilling
obligations as an Admissions Officer for West Point.
MAJ George was called to active duty in 2009 and assigned to the 1-252nd Combined
Arms Battalion to work in civil-military operations. On the morning of May 21, 2009, MAJ
George and other business-minded military personnel were to meet in southern
Baghdad with the leadership of the Doura Market Businessmen’s Association to discuss
continued revitalization of the local business community and economy. As the Soldiers
entered the building, they were suddenly attacked by an individual wearing a personborne improvised explosive device (PBIED)/suicide vest. MAJ George was one of three
U.S. Soldiers killed. In addition others were seriously injured, including innocent local
Iraqi citizens.
MAJ George’s awards include Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals. The Jason George
Memorial Foundation was founded in his honor and is dedicated to supporting veterans,
promoting civic service, and providing scholarships for veterans.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious
Service Medal, Commendation Medal (2), Army
Achievement Medal, National Defense Medal (2), Army
Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service
Star
LTC Jaimie E. Leonard
USMA Class of 1997
Killed in Action, Zarghun Shahr, Afghanistan, June 8, 2013 (age 39)
Jaimie Leonard grew up in Warwick, New York and graduated from Warwick Valley
High School. After attending Marion Military Institute on a merit-based scholarship, she
entered West Point where she was a member of the crew team.
Commissioned as a Military Intelligence officer, LTC Leonard’s service included
assignments to South Korea; Germany; Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; the Pentagon; Ft.
Drum, NY; and multiple deployments to include three combat tours—one in Iraq and
two in Afghanistan. As a selectee to the highly competitive Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of
the Secretary of Defense Intern Program, LTC Leonard earned an MA in Public Policy
from Georgetown University in 1997.
Assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat
Team, 10th Mountain Division, Ft. Drum, LTC Leonard was deployed to Afghanistan. On
June 8, 2013, LTC Leonard was working to train Afghan security forces in Zarghun Shahr,
Afghanistan, when she suffered fatal injuries from small arms fire received from nemy
combatants wearing Afghan Security Forces uniforms.
Among her numerous awards and commendations, LTC Leonard earned three Bronze
Star medals, two Meritorious Service Medals, and the Joint Service Commendation
Medal.
The organization HERoes in Deed was established in her honor and sponsored its first
Memorial Day HERo run in 2014. The organization plans to fund scholarships for
Warwick High School students and to support the military community.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star (3), Meritorious Service
Medal (2), Joint Service Commendation Medal
MAJ Thomas E. Kennedy
USMA Class of 2000
Killed in Action, Sarkowi, Kunar province, Afghanistan, August 8, 2012 (age 35)
Born in New City, New York, Thomas Kennedy attended Don Bosco Preparatory
School in New Jersey and the Salisbury Preparatory School in Connecticut.
During his time as a cadet at West Point, MAJ Kennedy was a member of the hockey
team. Commissioned in the Field Artillery, MAJ Kennedy served as a Tactical Officer
and Assistant Coach at West Point. During his service at West Point, he earned a
Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, volunteered
as an Officer Representative for the hockey team, and served as the President of the
Army Hockey Association.
He later served two tours in Iraq, from February 2003 to 2004 and again from August
2005 to 2006. Assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade
Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Ft. Carson, Colorado, MAJ Kennedy deployed to
Afghanistan in July 2012. He was one of four Americans killed along with an Afghan
civilian on August 8 in Sarkowi, Afghanistan, when a bomber detonated a suicide vest.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.
Among his many awards and commendations, MAJ Kennedy earned three Bronze
Star medals and a Purple Heart. In addition, Don Bosco Preparatory School established
the Thomas E. Kennedy Scholarship Fund in his honor.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star (3), Purple Heart, Meritorious
Service Medal (2), Army Commendation Medal (3), Army
Achievement Medal (3), Afghanistan Campaign Medal with
Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Bronze Service
Star (4), Combat Action Badge, Air Assault Badge, Parachutist
Badge, Ranger Tab
CPT John L. Hallett III
USMA Class of 2001
Killed in Action, Sha Wali Kot, Afghanistan, August 24, 2009 (age 30)
John Hallett was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Concord, northeast of San Francisco,
where he played basketball at St. Agnes Elementary School and water polo at De La Salle
High School.
At West Point, CPT Hallett was captain of the water polo team and an all-conference
player. He also worked with West Point alumni to raise funds for the water polo club.
Commissioned in the Infantry, CPT Hallett trained at Ft. Benning, Georgia, then served at
Schofield Barracks in Honolulu, where he was a rifle and scout platoon leader, company
executive officer, and civil affairs officer. In January 2004, CPT Hallett deployed for a 13month tour of duty in Iraq. He returned and served in Hawaii; Ft. Benning; and Ft. Polk,
Louisiana.
In November 2007, CPT Hallett reported to Ft. Lewis, Washington, where he was a
battalion personnel officer, assistant operations officer, and company commander. Assigned
to the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, his
unit left for Afghanistan in July 2009. On August 25, CPT Hallett was among a group of
soldiers that arrived at a cholera-stricken area in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar
province, Afghanistan, to provide injections to sick villagers. A massive bomb hidden in a
culvert underneath the road ripped through the Stryker vehicle he was travelling in as his
unit returned to their base, instantly killing all four soldiers on board.
CPT Hallett’s family established The CPT John Hallett III Charitable Foundation to raise
funds for organizations that support service members of the American military, and his wife
founded Wear Blue: Run to Remember, a running community that pays tribute and serves as
a visual reminder of the soldiers killed in combat.
In addition, the Army water polo team established the annual Captain
John Hallett Memorial Tournament in his honor. The tournament raises
funds for Team Red, White & Blue, a nonprofit veteran support
organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of wounded veterans
and their families.
1LT Laura Walker
USMA Class of 2003
Killed in Action, Delak, Afghanistan, August 18, 2005 (age 24)
Laura Walker was born into a military family. Her education included ten different
schools, living in 18 different cities and three countries, culminating with her
graduation in 1999 from SHAPE American High School in Belgium.
At West Point CPT Walker was elected class secretary and served as team captain of
the women’s handball team, leading the team to a national collegiate championship
and competing on the junior national team in the Pan American Games. Although she
was offered the opportunity to pursue a position with the Olympic handball team, CPT
Walker chose to serve with Soldiers and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers.
CPT Walker arrived at Ft. Lewis, Washington in January of 2004, was assigned to the
555th Engineer Brigade, and deployed to Iraq in support of the 4th Infantry Division
until April 2004. She was reassigned as a vertical construction platoon leader in the
864th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy) upon returning to Ft. Lewis, and re-deployed
with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 864th ECB (H) to Afghanistan in March of 2005. In
August, CPT Walker died in Delak, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device
detonated underneath her Humvee during ground assault convoy operations.
CPT Walker proudly wore the 4th Infantry Division combat patch on her right shoulder,
a distinction she shared with both of her grandfathers from their service with the
Division in both World War II and Vietnam. Her two brothers and father served in the
military as well.
CPT Walker was the first female graduate of West Point to die in Afghanistan. She was
awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart, along with numerous other awards and
commendations. The West Point women’s handball 1LT Laura Walker Memorial
Invitational Tournament is named in her honor.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army
Commendation Medal (1OLC), Army Achievement Medal,
National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan
Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Action
Badge, Air Assault Badge
CPT Jason E. Holbrook
USMA Class of 2004
Killed in Action, Tsagay, Afghanistan, July 29, 2010 (age 28)
A native of Burnet, Texas, Jason Holbrook was raised in a military family.
Following his graduation from West Point, CPT Holbrook was commissioned in the
Infantry and assigned rifle platoon leader in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 501st
Airborne at Ft. Richardson, Alaska where he served for three years and deployed
with the unit to Iraq in 2006, where he received the Purple Heart for wounds
sustained. He attended the Captain’s Career Course at Ft. Benning, Georgia, and
achieved qualification as a Ranger and member of the U.S. Special Forces.
Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ft. Bragg, North
Carolina, CPT Holbrook deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in July
2010 as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan.
This was his second deployment. Leading an Operational Detachment ALPHA, he
was fatally wounded on July 29 at Tsagay, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his
military vehicle with an improvised explosive device.
CPT Holbrook was posthumously awarded his second Purple Heart, a Bronze Star
Medal with V Device, NATO Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal, among his other
numerous awards and commendations. In addition, two scholarships have been
established in his honor: the Captain Jason E. Holbrook ROTC Leadership Award at
the University of South Florida, and the Captain Jason Ellis Holbrook Scholarship at
Burnet High School.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star, Purple Heart (2), NATO Medal,
Meritorious Service Medal, Commendation Medal with Oak
Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign
Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas
Service Medal, Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantry Badge,
Expert Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab
CPT Scott P. Pace
USMA Class of 2005
Killed in Action, Qarah Bagh, Afghanistan, June 6, 2012 (age 33)
Scott Pace was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in Brawley, California. An athlete in high
school, he also received many leadership and academic awards, was a delegate to the California
Boys State, and was an Eagle Scout. After graduating from Brawley Union High School, CPT Pace
attended Brigham Young University for a year. He spent the next two years on his Mormon mission
in Argentina and then returned to BYU.
In high school CPT Pace earned varsity letters in basketball and swimming; he was a member of
the First Team All-Desert Valley League Basketball Team and was a nominee to the 1997
McDonald’s High School All-America Team. But despite these accomplishments, he wasn’t good
enough to play on the BYU basketball team. His younger brother, Rick, a cadet at West Point, told
him he could play at West Point. Following CPT Pace’s appointment to West Point, he played
basketball. He also took up a sport he had never played, team handball, and led the squad to the
Division 2 National Championship his junior year. He also was tight end in sprint football.
Both CPT Pace and his brother graduated from West Point in 2005. Following graduation, CPT
Pace entered flight school at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, where he earned his wings and flew the OH-58
Kiowa Warrior helicopter. He served his first assignment with the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry
Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Ft. Drum, New York. He completed two deployments to Iraq
back-to-back, spending some twenty months in country. Upon his return, he was stationed at Ft.
Huachuca, Arizona, where he attended the Captain’s Career Course in military intelligence.
CPT Pace was then assigned to the 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 82nd Airborne
Division, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. In December of 2010, he took command of Fox Troop, and as
an aviation troop commander, he deployed to Afghanistan in September of 2011. CPT Pace died on
June 6, 2012, in Qarah Bagh, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his OH-58D Kiowa helicopter
crashed.
Awards/Honors: Purple Heart (2), Army Air Medal, Afghanistan Campaign
Medal with Campaign Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Campaign Stars,
Global War On Terror Service Medal, NATO Medal, Army Service Ribbon,
Overseas Service Ribbon (3), Army Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge
1LT Thomas M. Martin
USMA Class of 2005
Killed in Action, Al Busayifi, Iraq, October 14, 2007 (age 27)
Thomas Martin was born in Huron, South Dakota. Because of his parents’ military service,
he left South Dakota as a young boy, went to school for a short time in Texas and then
graduated from high school in Cabot, Arkansas. As a youth, 1LT Martin was active in his
church, community, 4-H, high school band, theater, and the Boy Scouts attaining the rank of
Eagle Scout.
Following his high school graduation, 1LT Martin enlisted in the Army in 1998 as a Field
Artilleryman and served in Korea, then attended the United States Military Preparatory
School, entering West Point in the fall of 2001. As a cadet, 1LT Martin started on the rugby
team, was a member of the Military Tactics Team, and earned his Parachutist Badge by
graduating from Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia.
1LT Martin was commissioned as an Armor officer, and after completing Ranger School,
was assigned to his first duty station with the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment at Ft.
Richardson, Alaska in June 2006. Upon arrival, he was assigned as the Sniper Platoon Leader
in Crusader Troop. 1LT Martin deployed with the unit in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
in October 2006.
In October 2007, he was still in Iraq due to a troop surge that extended his deployment.
1LT Martin died on October 14 in Al Busayifi, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents
attacked his unit using small-arms fire during combat operations.
1LT Martin was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other honors. His high
school, along with his family, established the 1LT Tom Martin Memorial Scholarship. His
family also created the 1LT Tom Martin Memorial Foundation to support scholarships, youth
missions, and Boy Scouts.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star,
Purple Heart, Commendation Medal, Achievement Medal,
Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global
War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service
Medal, Overseas Ribbon with numeral 2, Army Service Ribbon,
Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab
2LT Emily J.T. Perez
USMA Class of 2005
Killed in Action, Al Kafl, Iraq, September 12, 2006 (age 23)
Emily Perez, who came from a military family, spent much of her youth in Germany. She
returned to the United States in 1998 to Fort Washington, Maryland. At Oxon High School,
she was in the top of her class, captain of the track team, and wing commander of the
Junior ROTC. She was also instrumental in starting the HIV/AIDS ministry at her church, and
was an HIV/AIDS educator with the Red Cross.
She excelled at West Point, where she was a four-year letter winner on the track team
and a top-ranked cadet. As Brigade Command Sergeant Major, 2LT Perez became the first
minority female command sergeant in the history of the U.S. Military Academy. She also
led the school’s gospel choir, tutored other students, and helped start a dance squad to
cheer on the football and basketball teams.
Following graduation from West Point, 2LT Perez was commissioned in the Medical
Service Corps and assigned to the 204th Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry
Division, Ft. Hood, Texas. 2LT Perez was deployed to Iraq in December 2005. She was killed
in action on September 12, 2006, while leading a convoy through Al Kifl, Iraq, a mission for
which she had volunteered, when a makeshift bomb exploded near her Humvee.
2LT Perez was the first combat death from West Point’s 2005 graduating class. She was
also the first female graduate of West Point to die in the Iraq War and the first female
African-American officer to die in combat.
2LT Perez was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. The Emily J. T. Perez
Foundation, established by her parents, provides mentoring and scholarship programs for
girls and young women.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Commendation Medal,
National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War
on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service
Ribbon, Combat Action Badge, NCAA Award of Valor (posthumous)
CPT Andrew Pedersen-Keel
USMA Class of 2006
Killed in Action, Afghanistan, March 11, 2013 (age 28)
Andrew Pedersen-Keel was born in South Miami, Florida and grew up in Connecticut. At
Avon Old Farms High School, he was a dean’s list student, editor of the school newspaper, and
was involved in the school’s Model United Nations and Habitat for Humanity. CPT PedersenKeel played football and lacrosse and was also a wrestler.
Following his commissioning as an Infantry officer, CPT Pedersen-Keel deployed in June
2008 with A Company, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom IIX and IX, then later assumed a leadership position in with 3rd Platoon, B Company.
As a Platoon Leader in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, CPT Pedersen-Keel led his platoon in
over 150 combat foot patrols and three air assault operations. Following attendance at Special
Forces Assessment and Selection, and the Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, CPT PedersenKeel began the Special Forces Qualification Course..
CPT Pedersen-Keel graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 2011 and was
assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Ft. Bragg, North Carolina,
where he served as an ODA Commander until his deployment to Afghanistan in August 2012.
In March of 2013, he was team leader of ODA 3126. CPT Pedersen-Keel died on March 11 in
Jalrez district, Afghanistan, of small-arms fire from an Afghan security forces member, one of
two soldiers killed in an attack at a police station. At the time of his death, CPT Pedersen-Keel
was deeply involved in training the Afghan Army as part of the transition plan for U.S.
withdrawal.
Among numerous awards and commendations, CPT Pedersen-Keel was awarded the three
Bronze Star medals and a Purple Heart.
CPT Pedersen-Keel’s parents established the APK Charities Corporation and the APK 5K/5K
Ruck Walk/March in his honor. APK Charities supports charitable organizations such as Fisher
House Foundation, which builds and maintains long-term residential facilities near military
hospitals nationwide, and the Special Forces Charitable Trust, supporting active-duty and
veteran Green Berets.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star (3), Purple Heart, Commendation Medal,
Ranger Tab, Special Forces Tab, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge,
Parachutist Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge
CPT Jason B. Jones
USMA Class of 2007
Killed in Action, Jalalabad, Afghanistan, June 2, 2014 (age 29)
Jason Jones spent his childhood in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. At Blue Mountain High
School he was a scholar athlete, earning eight varsity letters. He was nominated for First
Team All-American Soccer in the Eastern Region and First Team All-State Soccer, and was
co-captain of the Blue Mountain basketball team for the 2002-03 season, reaching the
state quarter-finals.
At West Point, CPT Jones was captain of his Sandhurst Military Skills Team and earned
a Master of the Sword Physical Fitness Award.
Commissioned in the Infantry, CPT Jones was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 505th
Parachute Infantry Regiment. He completed Airborne School in 2008, and was awarded a
Bronze Star for his performance during deployment to Iraq in 2008 to 2009. Serving with
the 82nd Airborne Division, he earned the Iron Panther Award. CPT Jones graduated
Army Jumpmaster School in 2010, and completed the Special Forces Qualification Course
in May 2013 to join the ranks of the Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets.
As a member of the Green Berets, assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group
(Airborne), Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, CPT Jones deployed to Afghanistan in April 2014.
He was killed on June 2 in a small-arms firefight near Jalalabad, Afghanistan,
commanding a 12-man Special Forces A-Team.
Awards/Honors: Bronze Star, Commendation Medal, Army
Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan
Campaign Medal with one campaign star, Iraq Campaign Medal with
two campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army
Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Meritorious
Unit Commendation, Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Expert Infantry
Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, Special Forces Tab