Defense of Freedom Medal

[Iraqgunz]

Some of you may know this and others not. The Defense of Freedom Medal was authorized by the Secretary of Defense after 11 SEP 2001 to recognize certain contractors supporting the DoD who have been killed or injured in the performance of those duties. In December 2007 3 contractors were killed and a fourth was severly wounded by an EFP near al-Kut, Iraq. Two of them were former team mates of mine from another contract in the al-Anbar province.

I received an email today from the widow of on those guys. He actually lived about 15 minutes from me in Southern California and was a former L.A County Deputy Sheriff and Navy Corpsman. He and my nephew even worked together at one point in a certain facility in the LASO. All of them are to be awarded their medals tomorrow at a private ceremony.

If any knows of contractors who have been killed or injured while serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or other locations I urge you to make this award known. Though it may seem insignificant at least it is a little something else for those personnel and their families to remember them by. Let's not forget that many contractors have been killed or injured supporting our efforts around the world.

[Bad Voodoo]

Some of you may know this and others not. The Defense of Freedom Medal was authorized by the Secretary of Defense after 11 SEP 2001 to recognize certain contractors supporting the DoD who have been killed or injured in the performance of those duties. In December 2007 3 contractors were killed and a fourth was severly wounded by an EFP near al-Kut, Iraq. Two of them were former team mates of mine from another contract in the al-Anbar province.

I received an email today from the widow of on those guys. He actually lived about 15 minutes from me in Southern California and was a former L.A County Deputy Sheriff and Navy Corpsman. He and my nephew even worked together at one point in a certain facility in the LASO. All of them are to be awarded their medals tomorrow at a private ceremony.

If any knows of contractors who have been killed or injured while serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or other locations I urge you to make this award known. Though it may seem insignificant at least it is a little something else for those personnel and their familys to remember them by. Let's not forget that many contractors have been killed or injured supporting our efforts around the world.

Why not sticky this thread as a tribute to those who are awarded this medal?

[Iraqgunz]

My computer skills are limited to surfing the web. :D Not sure how "stick" this.

[Bad Voodoo]

My computer skills are limited to surfing the web. :D Not sure how "stick" this.

Ask a moderator to sticky it for you. Look up. If they agree to sticky your thread, it will always be near the top so people like you with buddies who were awarded the medal have easy access to memorialize their contract service.

[Iraqgunz]

Mods. Can we sticky this thread? Thanks much.

[Joe_Friday]

I agree with making this a sticky and feel that Contractors are largely forgotten in their sacrifices.

On the other hand it would also be nice to see a sticky started to honor those in the Mil. who have recieved the MOH, Silver Star or Navy Cross.

If it does get stickied it would be nice to know at least the circumstances. I understand that sometimes exact occurences may not be postable in a public forum but a little background would be nice.

+1 for the Sticky!

[Iraq Ninja]

Joe, I will post some after action reports and photos as per your request.

Here is one from 2004. The person killed was a former police officer from Colorado. I think his memorial service was held at the Denver football stadium. He returned fire even while mortally wounded. Lesson learned here was to wear helmets. The driver took a hit in the head and was able to drive thru the ambush. This was back when we didn't have armored vehicles for everyone.


SAF AMBUSH
30 MAY 2004

1. General: At approximately 1330 30 May 2004 a two (2)-vehicle
(soft skin SUV's) convoy was approaching the last bridge prior to entering the BIAP gate. Vehicle #1 had three (3) personnel and vehicle #2 had two (2) personnel.

The convoy was traveling at approximately 120 KPH and had been separated to an extent due to a car (took an off ramp prior to ambush) getting in between them. As they approached the bridge each vehicle noticed two (2) broken down cars on the right shoulder of the road approximately 50 meters from the bridge. Vehicle #1 passed underneath the bridge without incident and didn't notice anything unusual. As vehicle #2 came abreast of the bridge they received small arms fire to the right side of their vehicle from ground level. The initial burst of fire struck the passenger (seated RF) in the neck and the driver in the helmet, which didn't penetrate the Kevlar.

The passenger returned fire (approximately six rounds) and also shot one round into the floorboard of the vehicle before succumbing to his wounds. The driver though stunned was able to continue driving and made it to the BIAP gate. According to the convoy personnel the Army sent a patrol up to the ambush site and found Facility Protection Services (FPS) guards who supposedly had no knowledge of the ambush. The team wasn't sure of the time lapse between the ambush and the Army moving to the site but anyone
who is been here can realize that there could've been some type of collusion between the FPS and enemy forces.

2. Recommendation: The driver of vehicle #2 owes his life to the
Kevlar helmet he was wearing. Helmets should be made available to all personnel for vehicular movements, this is especially true when moving in soft skin SUV's. Armored vehicles should be the standard for movements to BIAP and other higher risk areas, although the SUV was riddled with bullet holes there's a good chance that an armored vehicle could've survived the attack.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d127/Iraqninja/Iraq%20DynCorp/rightrear.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d127/Iraqninja/Iraq%20DynCorp/insideroofimpacts.jpg

[Iraq Ninja]

Here is another ambush from 2004. Four contractors wounded. Two went home and I doubt they ever worked again, due to their injuries. The other two returned to work after recovering. At least one insurgent died, possibly two. I hope the bloody pic doesn't offend anyone, but the Defense of Freedom medal is not given out for spilling coffee...


SPOT REPORT
DATE: 19 July 2004
TIME: 0745
LOCATION: Aski Mawsil, Iraq
EVENT: Coordinated Small Arms/RPG Attack IVO Al Kasik


MISSION: XXXX PSD was escorting XXXXX Advance personnel for the XXXXXX visit to Al Kasik. We were traveling in a three vehicle convoy; two Mitsubishi Pajeros and an armored Chevy Suburban limo. About six miles past the dam we were attacked in a hairpin turn through a small knoll by approx. 10 AIF.

Possible dickers before the event were a maroon Opel Vectra that made a sudden u-turn in front of us a mile before the attack, or a stalled orange and white taxi about five hundred yards before the entrance to the knoll. Both exhibited strange behavior.

As we entered the knoll, we were all on full alert. We were held up behind a slow moving water truck that blocked the road. The water truck was probably acting as control for the attackers.

We passed the truck, and PSD members saw the attackers before shooting started. AIF began shooting and the PSD immediately responded. AIF were on both sides of the road, firing down with at least one heavy weapon (probably PKM) on each side. Three or four seconds after the shooting started an RPG impacted just behind the lead vehicle. We pressed hard through the kill zone. The lead and follow vehicles returned fire; the armor in the limousine held for the most part. But a ricochet went through the wheel well and hit an XXXXXX advance member in the calf. As we broke contact, a second RPG was fired and hit behind the convoy.

The convoy drove about three or four kilometers and formed a hasty perimeter. We evaluated casualties and moved them so we could treat them. Then we pressed through to Al Kasik.

About a mile from the gate of Al Kasik, the lead vehicle stopped running. (We learned later that the radiator took a round.) We shifted the casualties to another vehicle. Two vehicles continued on to the base and the lead vehicle stayed behind, with an XXXXX member guarding it. About fifteen minutes later, we towed this vehicle onto base.

We consolidated at the USACE compound to treat casualties and call for a medevac. We had four injuries. The driver in the lead vehicle was shot in the right thigh and left arm; the team leader in the front passenger seat of the lead vehicle was shot in the knee; the well gunner in the follow vehicle was fragged in the buttocks; and a passenger in the far back seat in the limo was fragged in the right calf. The injuries were air evacuated to CSH 67.


lead vehicle-
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d127/Iraqninja/Iraq%20PSD/Mosul%20ambush%202-13-04/DSC02364.jpg

Client vehicle. Photo taken during the ambush.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d127/Iraqninja/Iraq%20PSD/Mosul%20ambush%202-13-04/ambushpic.jpg

[Joe_Friday]

Iraq Ninja, Thanks for the AARs. I understand that this is not Lightfighter here and that is understandable (I do go there but I do not post, I guess it is the whole "know your lane" thing) but AARs like these show that we still have people that believe in the right thing and are willing to give their all in it's defense. I commend you and all of the others, Mil. and PMC's, out there and pray a safe return.

[Iraq Ninja]

Joe, Here is another one from 2004. I am slowly going thru my notes and finding the AARs in which sufficient time has passed that OPSEC is not a concern. I have also removed any names. I am doing this for the men behind the medals...

Overall, security contractors have done an excellent job guarding their clients. Blackwater has never lost one, but have lost many operators and one RSO agent.

Here is one from 2004 which was one of the first times that clients were killed.

Contact Report

At approx 0810hrs Baghdad local

At grid 38S MB xxxxxx, approx 100 metres short of the underpass.

A 3 vehicle convoy was progressing to the South Baghdad site on an alternative route, when a large IED (suspected static VBIED) on the right hand side of road, or parallel the lead vehicle, detonated. This explosion resulted in the lead vehicle being destroyed and all occupants in the vehicle KIA.


In the initial blast the front vehicle was immediately destroyed, and was blown sideways into the left hand side of the carriageway and and over onto its roof, the car immediately caught fire, and the force of the explosion resulted in the two backing vehicles sustained blast damage. The CP in cars 2 and 3 had to debus in order to get the surviving clients to hard cover, and also hold back a rapidly expanding crowd, at this time there were a number of Iraqi dead and injured observed. The sound of SAF was identified as ammo cooking off in the lead vehicle which was by now blazing, adding to the general confusion of the situation. The CP in cars 2 and 3, got the clients out of the car, as it was immobilised, and into hard cover, and assessed their own casualties, there was a number of superficial glass injuries but no serious injuries. As the Iraqi Police turned up, the CP elements had to use their weapons to hold back an increasing crowd. Shots were fired in order to maintain order, however it is not thought that the initial detonation was followed up by targeted SAF. Members of the CP Team alerted the IP who were holding off and instructed them to bring their vehicles forward to assist. The survivors with the assistance of IP then extracted back to the Green Zone where they obtained medical assistance.

[BlueForce]

Some of you may know this and others not. The Defense of Freedom Medal was authorized by the Secretary of Defense after 11 SEP 2001 to recognize certain contractors supporting the DoD who have been killed or injured in the performance of those duties.

The first recipients of this medal were actually killed during the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on 9/11, while serving as contractors and civilian employees of the Department of Defense. Here is the official list:

http://www.defenseoffreedom.com/medal_recipients.htm

I worked with some of the gentlemen here who were on board planes that hit both locations. I feel Donald Rumsfeld did a great thing in creating this honor. Many contractors dedicate their lives to making our country and world a safer place to live. Their commitment and sacrifice often goes unnoticed. And sometimes they face risks that can cause them to pay the ultimate price as well.

[Iraqgunz]

Thanks, yes I am aware of its' origins and I happen to know a few recipients. Unfortunately, it would seem as if there is no central database of awardees and many people do not ven know about it.

[Iraq Ninja]

Wanted to bump this important thread with two recent losses. Both I think were Dyncorp WPPS contractors. One was a Designated Defensive Marksman who was killed by small arms fire, and the other incident is being ruled an accident (ND) after duty hours...

Things are starting to heat up again over here due to the warmer weather. The Bad Guys don't like to work in the cold or rain.

[Iraq Ninja]

Some new info for this year...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-isenberg/sigirs-latest-on-pmcs_b_558446.html


The last report released in January, noted "For the quarter ending December 31, 2009, the Department of Labor (DoL) received reports of 13 new deaths of civilian contractors working in Iraq. DoL also received reports that 669 civilian contractors suffered injuries requiring them to miss at least four days of work. Since September 2001, the DoL has received reports of 1,459 deaths of civilian contractors."

Contractor casualties nearly doubled in the latest quarter. SIGIR reports that in the first quarter of 2010, 25 deaths were reported to the Department of Labor (DoL),and 740 injuries were reported to the DOL as causing more than 3 days of lost work. As of March 31, 2010, the number of deaths reported in Iraq is 1,471 since the DOL began compiling this data in March 2003.

As of January 22, 2010, USF-I reported 100,035 DoD contractors working in Iraq:

51,990 third-country nationals
27,843 U.S. citizens
20,202 Iraqi nationals

This represents a significant decline in the absolute number of DoD contractors, from a high of more than 160,000 in September 2008. However, as a ratio of contractors to troops, the projection for August 2010 increases from roughly 1:1 to 3:2.

[Safetyhit]

Some new info for this year...


Thank-you for the update, very interesting but also sobering information. I would act surprised that we don't see more of it in the main stream media, but American contractor casualties or not they just don't seem to care.

Guess it's the ugly little face of the war no one wants to acknowledge. Doesn't fit in with the image of making progress I suppose.

[yrac]

Mods. Can we sticky this thread? Thanks much.

Consider it stuck!

[thopkins22]

It's been damn near a year and a half since there has been a post in this thread. Exact numbers are tough to come by, but there have been quite a few casualties in that time...and they'll continue to be there grinding it out on our behalf for quite some time into the future.

Thanks gentlemen.

[Iraq Ninja]

The Brits now have a medal to honor their contractors killed in Iraq and Afghanistan- The Civilian Service Medal

http://www.edp24.co.uk/polopoly_fs/nic_crouch_medal_best_shot_1_1226134!image/93485895.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_225/93485895.jpg

It was recently awarded to someone from my old company- Nick Crouch


He moved to Iraq in January 2009 and was protecting American troops building a hospital in the city of Mosul when his convoy came under attack on July 19 2010. A suicide bomb in a passing car killed Mr Crouch instantly, and wounded three of his colleagues and five Iraqi civilians. At the time he was the 30th worker for private security firm Aegis to be killed in action in Iraq since 2004.


http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/first_new_civilian_medal_presented_posthumously_to_norfolk_suicide_bomb_victim_nic_crouch_1_1226138

[SeriousStudent]

Iraq Ninja, Iam sorry to hear of the loss of your friend.

I am heartened that the British are recognizing those who contribute to their security.