Kentucky National Guard Soldier Receives Distinguished Service Cross

[Dave Danner]

Guard Experience Online: Kentucky National Guard Soldier Receives Distinguished Service Cross

Kentucky Army National Guard SSG Timothy Nein received the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award only to the Medal of Honor, during a ceremony at the National Guard Association of Kentucky conference in Lexington, for his extraordinary heroism in action during an ambush that took place almost two years ago in Iraq.

[more at the link above]

Louisville Courier-Journal: Guardsman honored: Actions in Iraq earn Army's second-highest medal

Timothy Nein vividly recalls what happened along a highway 26 miles southeast of Baghdad on Palm Sunday, 2005. A staff sergeant deployed to Iraq as part of the Kentucky National Guard's 617th Military Police Company, Nein was leading a squad of 10 soldiers patrolling the key supply route when it came upon two truck convoys under fire from automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. "The guys from my squad can tell you there's not a day that goes by that that day does not affect us in one way or another, good or bad," Nein said yesterday. Despite heavy fire from a force of insurgents much larger than he initially expected, Nein led a successful counterattack. At a ceremony at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort yesterday, Nein was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions that day.

[more at the link above]

This was the same action as that of Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, who became the first female recipient of the Silver Star since World War II. The Distinguished Service Cross was an upgrade to the Silver Star he previously received.

SSGT Nein is the fifth DSC recipient of the War on Terror. The prior recipients were: MAJ Mark E. Mitchell, 3/5th SFG(A); MSGT Donald R. Hollenbaugh, USASOC; Col. James H. Coffman, Jr., Sr. Advisor, 1st Iraqi Special Police Commando Brigade; and SSGT Daniel A. Briggs.

[Mike Dwyer]

As a former regular army, national guard, and army reserve Military Policeman, I say, "Way to Go!"

[Bill Dienna]

A few questions:

If the DSC was an "upgrade" of his Silver Star:

1. Who actually makes a decision to "upgrade" ? ; and

2. Will he continuel wear the Silver Star ribbon as he does in the photos?

[Paul R]

I have never seen an award "upgrade" before. I would assume that he would have to return the Silver Star.

[Kev in Deva]

This was the same action as that of Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester who became the first female recipient of the Silver Star since World War II.,

Hallo Dave

a picture of the good Sgt. herself.

Photo Credit: By Spec. Jeremy D. Crisp -- Defense Department Via Associated Press.

Kevin in Deva.

Edited February 22, 2007 by Kev in Deva

[Dave Danner]

A few questions:

If the DSC was an "upgrade" of his Silver Star:

1. Who actually makes a decision to "upgrade" ? ; and

2. Will he continuel wear the Silver Star ribbon as he does in the photos?

I have never seen an award "upgrade" before. I would assume that he would have to return the Silver Star.

Upgrades are not uncommon. The approval and award authority for lesser decorations is usually delegated downward during wartime. By message dated 27 March 2003, and later reconfirmed when the command structure was changed in theater, the Department of the Army delegated wartime approval authority of the Silver Star to the Commander, Coalition Forces Land Component Command (COMCFLCC), U.S. Central Command, i.e., the senior Army commander in theater, and authorized him to further delegate such authority to Lieutenant General commanders underneath him. By message dated 3 April 2003, he delegated Silver Star approval authority to the commander of V Corps.

The current structure has a 4-star level command in place of COMCFLCC in Iraq, the Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I). By message dated 6 August 2004, General Casey, the MNF-I commander, was delegated Silver Star approval authority and authorized to further delegate it to Lt. Gen. Metz, commanding Multi-National Corps-Iraq (MNC-I). By message dated 12 September 2004, he did so. Gen. Casey also indicated that it was MNF-I command intent that "all soldiers deserving an award leave the theater with award in hand."

Thus, when the award recommendations came up the chain for the Kentucky Guardsmen, Lt. Gen. Metz and Gen. Casey were in a position to approve Silver Stars, but anything higher - the Medal of Honor or the DSC - would have to work its way through the Pentagon bureaucracy. So, policy in this situation would be to award the Silver Star while allowing the bureaucracy to take its time.

A similar thing has happened with another soldier who was posthumously awarded the Silver Star in December 2006 and for whom a Medal of Honor recommendation is working its way up the ladder.

Similarly, Alvin York was awarded a DSC in 1918 after his actions in France, and a few months later the DSC was upgraded to a Medal of Honor. Sgt. York is often erroneously included in lists of DSC recipients, but technically, because of the upgrade, he no longer had the DSC. Photos of Sgt. York wearing the Medal of Honor don't show him wearing a DSC.

More formally, as the Army reviews awards, decorations are often upgraded years after the fact. Eddie Rickenbacker had one of his DSCs upgraded to the Medal of Honor in 1930, twelve years after the war. Maj. Bruce Crandall, the helicopter pilot in the Battle of Ia Drang portrayed by Greg Kinnear in the movie "We Were Soldiers...", didn't receive his DSC until 2005 and in 2007 (i.e., next week), he will receive the Medal of Honor. The Army will then officially revoke his DSC.

If you want to read an example of revocation of medals because of an upgrade, here is Department of the Army General Order No. 24 of 2001: http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/go0124.pdf. This revoked various awards, mainly to Japanese-American soldiers, which had been upgraded to Medals of Honor. The awards of the Medal of Honor were in separate general orders - DAGos 02 to 23 of 2001.

[Bill Dienna]

Thamks, Dave, for the comprehensive explaination!

I have heard of reccomendations for awards being "downgraded" in World War II, usually when a distinction was made by someone between "regular army" personnel and those who entered after Pearl Harbor. That is, if a man was a professional soldier or a West Point graduate, some acts of valor were regarded as what was expected, and lesser decorations were given instead.

I also have read of decorations being downgraded during the war when the prospective recipient was in a particular unit, such as the Japanese Americans or racially segregated units.

But I didn't know of the upgrade procedure, and I was wondering if it wasn't someone's way of saying "We need more heroes. Let's upgrade the guy's award". It's reassuring to see that it is a part of a formally codified "chain of command" review process.

[Paul R]

Thanks for the detailed explanation, Dave!

[ehrentitle]

The Army Women's Museum has a special display featuring Hester & mentioning Nein -

Heroes Turn Out for Exhibit Opening at Army Women's Museum

The first woman to win the Silver Star Medal for direct actions against an enemy force turned out for the opening of the Global War on Terrorism exhibit Feb. 3 at the U.S. Army Women's Museum here.

The exhibit showcases contributions women have made during the war.

Sgt. Lee Ann Hester made history when she earned the medal during actions March 20, 2005, while reacting to an ambush by insurgents near Baghdad. She is also the first woman to earn the award since World War II.

Hester and most of the other members of her squad from the Kentucky Army National Guard's 617th Military Police Company, to which she was assigned when the action occurred, were present for the exhibit's opening. It was the first time they had all been together in more than a year, Hester said.

The exhibit's centerpiece is a life-size diorama of the squad's actions.

Others in the unit also received the Silver Star, including Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein, the squad leader, whose award has recently been upgraded to a Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest award for valor. The Distinguished Service Cross ranks is second only to the Medal of Honor.

While the exhibit focuses on the actions of Hester and Nein, both soldiers emphasized that the entire squad worked together to succeed.

"It wasn't one person's actions that day," Hester said. "It was us as a team. You know, I wouldn't be standing here today without these guys having had my back that day."

The squad, call sign Raven 42, was escorting a convoy near the town of Salman Pak, south of Baghdad, when the convoy came under heavy fire. Acting without hesitation, the Guard soldiers drove their vehicles between the insurgents and the convoy. Hester and Nein dismounted from their armored Humvees and led the counterattack against the ambush. Twenty-seven insurgents were killed, and seven were captured.

Two soldiers in the squad were wounded during the engagement, which lasted roughly 30 minutes. But it could have been far worse, because the insurgents had getaway vehicles pre-positioned with open doors and trunks. They also had handcuffs, perhaps indicating they intended to take prisoners.

While Hester was quick to downplay her role during the counterattack, others feel she did much more than simply her job.

"It's amazing," said Pat Sigle, director of the Army Women's Foundation, which oversaw the funding for the exhibit. "I hope she understands, and I think in time she will, just how amazing that team was, how they all came out alive, how they pulled together and did what they were supposed to do."

The fact that Hester is a woman who has served in a combat zone, and in direct combat action, has been highlighted by many people. But it wasn't anything out of the ordinary to her. It was just another aspect of life in the squad, she said.

"I believe everybody in my squad changed a lot of minds," she said. "Not just me. We're a blend of several different cultures, and being a woman, to me, is just one of those cultures. It makes no difference. If you can do the job, you can do the job. Some people can, and some people can't."

Others in the squad agreed.

"A hundred years ago, I guarantee our forefathers would never have thought a squad that was as successful as we were that day could come from so many different backgrounds and look so different physically," said Sgt. Jason L. Mike, an African-American medic assigned to the unit who also was awarded the Silver Star for his actions that day.

While many in attendance expressed awe at the actions of Hester, Nein, Mike and the others in Raven 42, the squad members stood in awe of the exhibit that depicts their actions.

"They did an outstanding job," said Hester. "It's amazing what they did. I believe it captures the actions of March 20, 2005, very well."

But, for Hester, it still comes down to just the squad's soldiers doing their jobs that day.

"There's a lot of soldiers that are doing this job right now," she said. "Right this minute, right now, they're doing now what we were doing then, and they're not getting the credit they deserve. Look at the big picture. We did great one day, but there are people doing that every day. Don't lose sight of that."

Source: U.S. Department of Defense

[slava1stclass]

To all:

Expanding on Dave's above clarification, it is also worthwhile to note that enlisted members who have been awarded the Medal of Honor and/or the Distinguished Service Cross (in the case of the U.S. Army) are entitled to 10% addtional retired pay as described below.

Regards,

slava1stclass

A. Service Retirement. Enlisted members of the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps retired after the completion of 20 but less than 30 years of active service are eligible to receive 10 percent additional retired or retainer pay if credited with extraordinary heroism in the line of duty. Total retired pay, including the 10 percent increases, may not exceed maximum pay of 75 percent. Enlisted members of the Coast Guard retired after completion of 20 years, voluntarily or involuntarily, are eligible to have retired pay increased by an amount equal to 10 percent of the active duty pay and permanent additions thereto of the grade or rating with which retired if credited with extraordinary heroism in the line of duty.

B. Non Regular Service Retirement. Enlisted members of the Reserve Component who are entitled to retired pay and credited by the Secretary concerned with extraordinary heroism in the line of duty shall have their retired pay increased by an additional 10 percent. The Secretary?s determination as to extraordinary heroism is conclusive for all purposes. The total retired pay, including the 10 percent increase, may not exceed the maximum pay of 75 percent of the applicable retired pay base. This shall take effect October 1, 2002, and shall apply with respect to retired pay for months beginning on or after that date.