Gen. Lloyd Austin, Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army shakes hands with Capt. Brian Kitching after presenting him with the Silver Star Medal at Forward Operating Base Zangabad, Nov. 22, 2012. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Nevada Jack Smith)
| | FOB MASUM GHAR, Afghanistan (1/5/2013) – U.S. Army Capt. Brian Kitching was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the nation's third highest military award, on Nov. 22, 2012 at Forward Operating Base Zangabad. Gen. Lloyd Austin, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, presented the award. Kitching, from Lincoln Nebraska, received the award for his valorous achievement as the company commander of Bravo Company, 1-64 Infantry, during deployment to Afghanistan in support of International Security Assistance Forces operations.
On the morning of Oct. 4, 2012, Kitching was patrolling with 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, during the second day of Operation Ghalra Sook, a joint led clearance mission between U.S and Afghan National Security Forces.
As the platoon was moving through a dense marijuana field they began taking fire from approximately 10-12 enemy insurgents.
“We got into some pretty good contact with the enemy that day,” Kitching said. “It was pretty tough fighting.”
Kitching began directing the platoon to return fire on the enemy position. The enemy fire intensified and a soldier received a gunshot wound to the arm. Simultaneously an Afghan soldier received minor shrapnel wounds from a 37mm grenade. |
