{"id":13969,"date":"2019-10-02T16:34:01","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T16:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/10\/02\/army-special-operators-receive-34-valor-awards-for-combat-actions-in-one-afghanistan-deployment\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:25:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:25:56","slug":"army-special-operators-receive-34-valor-awards-for-combat-actions-in-one-afghanistan-deployment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2019\/10\/02\/army-special-operators-receive-34-valor-awards-for-combat-actions-in-one-afghanistan-deployment\/","title":{"rendered":"Army special operators receive 34 valor awards for combat actions in one Afghanistan deployment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Army special operations forces <\/a>were awarded 34 valor awards during a ceremony at Fort Carson, Colorado<\/a>, last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a six-month deployment to Afghanistan, soldiers assigned to Special Operations Task Force 102 fought against the Taliban, the Islamic State\u2019s Khorasan province, the Haqqani network and Al-Qaida fighters, according to Army officials<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was one of the most successful summer fighting seasons in recent history for the task force, according to the Army, yielding five Silver Star Medals, nine Bronze Star Medals with valor, 20 Army Commendation Medals with valor and 36 Purple Heart medals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lt. Gen. Francis M. Beaudette, commanding general of Army Special Operations Command, presented the awards Thursday during a ceremony attended by the soldiers and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am incredibly humbled to be here in the company of these Green Beret heroes, who embody all the values and attributes we hold dear in the ARSOF community,\u201d Beaudette said at the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The task force was comprised of Green Berets from 10th Special Forces Group and 19th Special Forces Group, as well as special operations soldiers from the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion and 71st Ordnance Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor 170 days of a blistering series of operations, we focused on disrupting the enemy in their strongholds,\u201d said Lt. Col. Justin Hufnagel, commander of 2nd Battalion, 10th Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Valor awards lay in rows ready to be presented to the Green Berets of 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at a ceremony on Fort Carson, Colorado, Sept. 26, 2019. The awards were presented for valorous actions during the battalions\u2019 most recent deployment to Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Dustin Miller)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey earned these awards supporting one another, side by side, in battle,\u201d Hufnagel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the ceremony, the Bronze Star Medal with valor was posthumously awarded to Sgt. Joseph Collette<\/a> and the Silver Star was posthumously awarded to Sgt. 1st Class Will Lindsay<\/a>. Both died from small arms fire<\/a> during combat operations in Kunduz province, Afghanistan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lindsay was a Green Beret assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group<\/a>. Collette, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist, was assigned to the 242nd Ordnance Battalion, 71st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Collette\u2019s and Lindsay\u2019s awards were presented to their surviving family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Army Commendation Medals with valor were also posthumously awarded to Master Sgt. Micheal Riley<\/a> and Sgt. 1st Class Elliot Robbins<\/a>. Riley died from small arms fire in Afghanistan\u2019s Uruzgan province<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t