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GLENVILLE, N.Y. - Despite a massive explosion, and continuous
Taliban small-arms fire, New York Army National Guard Sgt. Joshua
Young rescued his platoon sergeant, rallied his troops, and
continued his mission March 16, 2012, while serving in Afghanistan.
On Friday, July 19, 2013, Young's heroism was recognized with the
award of the Bronze Star with V Device, for valor, at the
Scotia-Glenville Armed Forces Reserve Center here.
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U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Swezey, left, the commander of
the 53rd Troop Command, New York Army National Guard congratulates
Sgt. Joshua Young after he receives the Bronze Star with V device
for valor during a ceremony at the Scotia-Glenville Armed Forces
Reserve Center in Glenville, N.Y., July 19, 2013. Young was
recognized for saving the life of a fellow Soldier while under
continuous enemy fire March 16, 2012, in Afghanistan with an
Explosive Ordnance Disposal battalion from Fort Drum, N.Y. Young is
assigned to the 1108th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance
Disposal). (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo)
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At the time Young, a resident of Perinton, N.Y., was
serving with the Army's 760th Ordnance Battalion, based at
Fort Drum, N.Y. He is currently assigned to the New York
Army National Guard's 1018th Ordnance Company (Explosive
Ordnance Disposal), which is headquartered at the Reserve
Center.
“It's weird, I'm not sure what all the hubbub
is all about," said Young, referring to the recognition. "It
happened a long time ago, and I would do it again. It'd be
what you do."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo praised
Young's actions in a written statement.
"Today we
honor an individual who went to extraordinary lengths to
protect and save the lives of his fellow soldiers," Cuomo
said.
"At great personal risk, Sgt. Young not only
carried his badly injured platoon sergeant to safety through
enemy gunfire, but he also returned to the battlefield to
successfully complete his mission," Cuomo added.
New
York Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Michael Swezey, who
presented Young with his medal, pointed out that while many
soldiers serve and serve well, Young did something more.
 "The
military awards very few Bronze Star Medals for Valor,
indicating that Josh demonstrated a level of extreme
personal courage and selfless service,” Swezey said. "I am
struck by the courage he displayed to protect his fellow
soldiers."
On March 16, 2012, Young was attached to
Company A, 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed
Attack Company, which was operating in Siah Choy,
Afghanistan, in the area known to the military as Regional
Command South. The unit is known as “Syke's Regulars,” a
historic Army designation.
The company command had
decided to blow up a strategic wall in the village of
Manezai. The wall bordered a road that was used to resupply
and reinforce Combat Outpost Siah Choy, where Young's
company was located.
During the previous three
months, the company had observed insurgents planting more
than 60 improvised explosive devices (IED) along the road,
using the wall as cover. With the wall gone, the company
would be able to use their reconnaissance capabilities to
stop the IED attacks.
The 3rd Platoon of the company
was given the mission. Young was accompanying the platoon as
the EOD team leader, tasked with placing the explosives and
detonating them. Young and his team placed over 1,200 pounds
of C4 explosives at points along the wall as they prepared
to execute the mission.
About 15 minutes after the
3rd Platoon moved into place, 50 enemy fighters moved to
locations north and east of the American soldiers and began
firing AK-47s and mortar rounds at them. One of the mortar
rounds detonated 400 pounds of C4 that had been placed along
the wall at its northern end. The explosion of the C4
incapacitated the entire squad at that location, including
the platoon sergeant.
Young was about 150 feet away
from the blast, which picked him up and threw him backwards
into a row of grapes, while debris rained down over him.
While the rest of the platoon sought cover to regroup
from the shock of the explosion, Young sprinted across the
open ground, through dust and settling debris, to assess any
casualties.
He searched for and found the platoon
sergeant 50 feet away from the center of the blast buried
under debris. The platoon sergeant was suffering from
massive internal trauma and had burns over 60 percent of his
body.
Young ignored enemy fire and ran to find the
platoon medic to begin treatment. He again moved through the
open to find the aide and litter team accompanying the unit
to bring them to the platoon sergeants location.
Young then volunteered to carry the platoon sergeant to the
landing zone where the medevac helicopter was heading,
despite the sporadic fire the platoon was still taking from
the enemy.
After carrying the platoon sergeant to
safety, Young returned to the battlefield to complete the
wall's demolition, accomplishing the platoon's mission.
His award citation reads, "Sgt. Young demonstrated
incredible personal courage and selfless service by risking
his life on multiple occasions to save a soldier's life and
complete the mission. Sgt. Young's valorous actions reflect
great credit upon himself, Attack Company, the Syke's
Regulars Battalion, the Arrowhead Stryker Brigade, Regional
Command South, and the United States Army.”
Young,
age 26, served in the active Army from 2007 to 2012 and
joined the 1018th Ordnance Company (EOD) of the New York
Army National Guard in August 2012.
Now he is
studying chemistry at Monroe County Community College in
Rochester, serving on the local volunteer fire department in
Fairport, N.Y., and moving ahead with his life.
He
still keeps in contact with the soldier he saved, although
the sergeant lost both legs. That platoon sergeant is doing
pretty well and learning to walk on his artificial legs,
Young said.
The five-months of specialized explosive
ordnance disposal training he received prior to deploying
gave him the skills and the mindset he needed when the time
came, Young said.
"It was second nature, it's what
you do as a soldier," Young said.
But his mother,
Kim Young, who attended the ceremony with Young's father,
Tim, said her son needed to give himself more credit.
"We're extremely proud of Josh and his accomplishments.
He never really told us a lot about the incident so we are
learning about his actions today,” she said.
By U.S. Army National Guard Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2013
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