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Redhorse Soldiers Mourn Loss of Fallen Hero
(April 29, 2011) | 
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 PARWAN
PROVINCE, Afghanistan (4/26/2011) – Soldiers of 1st Squadron, 113th
Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Redhorse, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th
Infantry Division, TF Red Bulls, mourned the loss of a friend and fellow
soldier during a memorial ceremony held at Joint Combat Outpost Pul-e
Sayad, Afghanistan, April 25.
Soldiers awaiting for the ceremony
to begin watched as two OH-58 Kiowa helicopters flew overhead, circling
the small JCOP. Pilots of TF Phoenix, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, held
out American flags showing their respect to the men and women of TF
Redhorse as thanks for support received only days prior.
U.S.
Army Staff Sgt. James A. Justice, an infantryman from Grimes, Iowa, was
killed in action while he and his platoon responded to a downed aircraft
April 23 in Alah Say District, Kapisa province, eastern Afghanistan.
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Terry L. Barnadore II, of Arden,
N.C., one of the pilots of the downed aircraft was killed, and the other
pilot injured. Two other TF Redhorse soldiers were injured during the
recovery mission that day. |
Soldiers of 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
Regiment, Task Force Redhorse, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th
Infantry Division, TF Red Bulls, hold a salute while the national
anthem is played during a memorial service for U.S. Army Staff Sgt.
James A. Justice, a squad leader for 1st Platoon, Troop A, 1st Sqdn.,
of Grimes, Iowa, at Joint Combat Outpost Pul-e Sayad, Afghanistan,
April 25, 2011. Justice was killed in action in Kapisa province
during a recovery mission of a downed aircraft April 23, 2011. Photo
by Army SSgt. Ashlee Lolkus |
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With quiet reverence, the soldiers began the ceremony. The fallen
hero's boots, rifle, helmet and dog-tags, placed atop a small
platform, faced an open area on the JCOP. Grieving soldiers of Troop
A, 1st Sqdn., 113th Cav. Regt., fell into formation and guests lined
the area to give a final farewell to a man who will be remembered
for being a world-class non-commissioned officer.
Justice, a
squad leader of 1st Platoon, Troop A, 1st Sqd., 113th Cav, was
originally slated to deploy with the 2nd Bde. in August 2010, but
due to medical issues he was held back from deploying. It wasn't
until the unit called back to the Iowa National Guard for
replacements when Justice went on what would be his fourth
deployment. He was in Afghanistan just under a month before his
death.
Justice, who enlisted in the Iowa National Guard in
1998, made many |
friends. Soldiers close to him shared their memories. Many knew him
from previous deployments, particularly those from the security
force mission in Iraq in 2005.
A long-time friend, U.S. Army
Staff Sgt. Doug Stanger of Urbandale, Iowa, and Company Intelligence
Support Team NCO for Troop A, 1st Sqd., 113th Cav., served with
Justice in Iraq. They were squad leaders together in the same
platoon.
“You talk to anybody and they will give you the
usual, ‘Oh, he was a good guy,' but James really was a good guy,”
Stanger said. “I was excited [to hear he was coming as a
replacement]. I went around and basically told everybody that I
could find how lucky we were. I saw him on Bagram Air Field, and I
said, ‘We would be lucky to have you.' Low and behold he came to
Alpha Troop and I just thought how incredibly lucky we were because
he is a performer and extremely cool under pressure, especially with
all the stuff he went through in Iraq.
“In any situation he
was just always calm, never got excited. He didn't sweat the small
details,” he continued. “And a leader ... Everybody wanted to follow
him. In Iraq he could get his guys to do anything he wanted them to
do because they just loved him that much and respected him.”
“He was probably the best NCO I've ever worked with,” said U.S. Army
Staff Sgt. Ben Doyle of Menlo, Iowa, and Troop A supply sergeant who
deployed with Justice three times. “NCO means a lot of things, but
he genuinely, genuinely had care and concern for soldiers. He cared
about soldiers he was in charge of and their welfare, and that's him
in a nutshell. He was a very compassionate guy with a great sense of
humor.”
“I remember when he first walked into my office,
here,” Doyle said. “I had heard that he was on Bagram Air Field. He
came and found me and walked into my office and I just smiled, and I
knew, his smirk, his trademark smirk ... I heard that we were trying
to get him at Alpha Troop, and I knew he would have a positive
impact on this organization. No question what-so-ever.”
Not
only did Justice have an impact on the lives of long-time friends,
but in the short time he was with Troop A, impacted the lives of the
soldiers with whom he served.
“I learned that he was a
determined Soldier the first time we shook hands,” said U.S. Army
1st Lt. Peter Choi, Troops A's 1st Platoon leader from Ames, Iowa.
“He was determined to make a difference in Afghanistan and to serve
his country the best possible way a citizen of the United States
can. He made a difference in the platoon in subtle but noticeable
ways.”
“First Platoon's actions that day changed the dynamics
on the battlefield and prevented a situation that could have turned
much worse,” Choi said during the memorial. “If it wasn't for Staff
Sgt. Justice's courage, we would not have been able to make the same
impact that we did.”
As the ceremony came to a close, every
soldier attending the memorial went up to Justice's display and paid
respects, to include members from the French Operational Mentoring
Liaison Team and Afghan National Army soldiers based at the JCOP.
Those who knew Justice well held Amanda, his wife, and Caydence,
his daughter close in their thoughts.
“I'm thinking about
Caydence growing up without the ability to know her father,” said
Stanger with tears forming in his eyes. “It's going to be tough. My
wife and I are definitely thinking about Amanda.”
“We are
always there for them, no matter what,” added Doyle.
Justice's awards include: Bronze Star
Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Reserve Components
Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces
Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal,
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal,
Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army
Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (2nd Award), Armed Forces
Reserve Medal with M device (3rd Award), Multinational Force and
Observers Medal, Combat Action Badge, Air Assault Badge. |
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By Army SSgt. Ashlee Lolkus
Combined Joint Task Force 101
Copyright 2011
Provided
through DVIDS
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