Posthumous Bronze Star with "V" to French Naval Commando

[Dave Danner]

The United States has awarded the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for Valor to Premier ma?tre Lo?c Le Page of Commando Trepel, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on March 4, 2006.

From the press release from the US Embassy in Paris:

U.S. Bronze Star Medal for Valor Posthumously Awarded to French Navy Commando Loic Le Page Recognizing Heroic Combat Action in Maruf Valley, Afghanistan

The United States of America will pay tribute to the heroic combat action of a French Navy commando, Premier Maitre Loic Le Page, posthumously awarding him the Bronze Star Medal for Valor in a ceremony at the American Embassy in Paris on November 8, 2006. Premier Maitre Le Page?s widow, Aude, children Alexis and El?onore, and father, General (retired) Maurice Le Page will be present to receive the honor. Major General Francis Kearney, Commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command, Central Command, will make the award on behalf of the President of the United States. U.S. Ambassador Craig Stapleton will present the family an American Flag that has flown over the American Embassy in Paris.

Other French military officers attending the ceremony will include: French Air Force General Patrick Paimbault, Sous-chef ? Op?rations ? aupr?s du Chef d??tat-major des arm?es; Contre-Amiral Bernard Rogel, Chef de cabinet du Chef d?Etat-Major des Arm?es ; Amiral Alain Oudot de Dainville, Chef d?Etat-Major de la Marine; General de Division Beno?t Puga, Commandant des Op?rations Sp?ciales, and Contre-Amiral Pierre Martinez, Commandant de la Force maritime des fusiliers Marins et Commandos.

On March 4, 2006, Premier Maitre Le Page was the assault team executive officer on a mission to sweep through the Maruf Valley in Afghanistan. While pursuing a group of militia, he and his men were hit by small arms, light machine gun fire, and rocket propelled grenades. His team returned fire, with him personally leading the assault until he was wounded by enemy machine gun fire. Three enemy militia members were killed and 10 were captured as a result of Premier Maitre Le Page?s actions.

President Franklin Roosevelt authorized creation of the Bronze Star Medal during World War II to recognize military members for their heroic or meritorious actions against an enemy. The ?Valor? device on the medal identifies that it was awarded for an act of combat heroism. Premier Maitre Le Page will receive the Bronze Star with the Valor device.

Task Group ARES, France?s Special Operations Force in Afghanistan in which Premier Maitre Le Page was serving, has supported U.S. and Coalition forces in Afghanistan since 2003 as part of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force.

Link to the press release, in PDF format: http://www.amb-usa.fr/texts/2006014.pdf

French version, also in PDF format: http://www.amb-usa.fr/textes/2006014f.pdf

[Stogieman]

Hi David, are there limitations on what Decoration that can be given to an allied combattant? Seems with a citation like that, especially ending as a KIA, he should have been awarded something a little higher up the ladder? Thanks!

[dond]

Actually that is about standard Rick. The only medal I don't think we give foreigners is the CoMH.

[Dave Danner]

Hi David, are there limitations on what Decoration that can be given to an allied combattant? Seems with a citation like that, especially ending as a KIA, he should have been awarded something a little higher up the ladder? Thanks!

There are limitations.

Department of Defense Manual 1348.33-M, "Manual of Military Decorations and Awards," provides that, for awards to foreign military personnel in support of military operations, "foreign military personnel in ranks comparable to the grade of O-6, and below, at the time the act was performed and at the time the decoration is presented, may be awarded: the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, or the Air Medal for valorous acts in actual combat in direct support of operations; the Soldier's Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, or the Airman's Medal for heroic acts in direct support of operations, but not involving actual combat; [and] the Bronze Star for meritorious service in direct support of combat operations." In addition, there are separate criteria for the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Commendation Medals and Achievement Medals of the various services.

The Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, the Air Force Cross and the services' Distinguished Service Medals are by current regulation limited to U.S. service members, though they have in the past been awarded to foreigners. The only Medals of Honor awarded to foreigners were the five unknown soldier awards of World War I. For the Army DSC, there have been 440 foreign recipients, but all but 18 of these were in WW2 or before. 14 were in Korea and four were in Vietnam (3 Vietnamese, 1 Australian). Of the 124 foreign Navy Cross recipients, only 2 were post-WW2 (both Vietnamese). No Air Force Cross has gone to a non-American.

So as a practical matter, the highest valor award a foreigner could receive today, absent exceptional circumstances, is the Silver Star. The Silver Star is also the next highest award up from the Bronze Star with Valor device in the US valor awards hierarchy. For an enlisted team leader like Le Page, the Bronze Star with V might not necessarily be the most appropriate award, but it is the most typical.

CW2 Scott W. Dyer, an assistant detachment commander with 3rd Special Forces Group who died of wounds on October 11 in Iraq, also received a posthumous Bronze Star with V, as did Sergeant First Class Christopher L. Robinson, a commo NCO with 20th Special Forces Group KIA in Afghanistan on March 25.

[Dave Danner]

Lo?c Le Page had previously received a posthumous M?daille Militaire and the croix de la Valeur Militaire with palm. The citation in the orders of the French Navy which accompanied the croix de la Valeur Militaire:

CITATION

Le ministre de la d?fense cite ? l?ordre de la marine nationale le premier ma?tre Lo?c Le Page ? ID 95 710 40005 ? Commando Trepel ? Lorient ?

? Jeune officier marinier sup?rieur fusilier marin, chef de groupe de combat du commando Trepel, au d?vouement et ? l?esprit de discipline sans faille. D?tach? en Afghanistan depuis le 4 janvier 2006, au sein du Task Groupe ? Ares ? dans le cadre de l?op?ration ? H?racl?s Porte Sud ?, a fait preuve des plus belles qualit?s militaires. Au cours de l?op?ration ? Makila ?, le 4 mars 2006, dans une zone particuli?rement sensible de la vall?e de Maruf propice aux infiltrations terroristes et alors qu?il effectue la reconnaissance d?un village de Salam Kalay ? la t?te de son escouade, a ?t? pris sous le feu d?une dizaine de talibans. A ripost? avec son groupe durant plus de vingt minutes face ? un ennemi lourdement arm?. Lors de cet engagement, a trouv? la mort dans l?accomplissement de son devoir en luttant contre le terrorisme. Pour ses qualit?s de chef, son comportement et son courage exemplaires au service de la France, m?rite d??tre cit? en exemple ?.

Cette citation comporte l?attribution de la croix de la valeur militaire avec palme.