Boots on the Ground Report

As I watch Hollywood’s inexcusable defense of Roman Polanski and the White House’s indecision in Afghanistan, I’m wondering what I’ve missed. For example, if the President’s going to break a campaign promise, why would he pick one that will endanger not only the mission and the lives of so many great Americans in Afghanistan, but the security of our nation? At the same time, how come everyone knows Polanski’s name but you hear little mention of a tough guy named Sergeant First Class Jared Monti?



Sergeant First Class Jared Monti in Afghanistan

Is it possible we don’t have our priorities straight? For those that are interested, let me tell you about Jared Monti.

This spring Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made a routine visit to Fort Drum, NY, home of the 10th Mountain Division. During his circulation of the post, he chatted with several members of the rear detachment of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team whose headquarters and 4500 troops are presently serving south of Kabul, Afghanistan.

“Anything I can do for you?” the Secretary asked the commander of the rear element charged with keeping the communication flow to the families, processing replacements for shipment overseas, and managing the returning wounded.

“Just one thing,” the commander said and then went on to ask about Sergeant First Class Jared Monti’s Medal of Honor packet, seemingly lost in the abyss of the White House Military Office. Apparently Louis Caldera, the Director of the White House Military Office, was too busy approving Air Force requests to do aerial doughnuts over the Statue of Liberty and causing fire drills on the ground in Manhattan than to process Monti’s Medal of Honor nomination.

Gates, I’m told, got the packet unearthed and approved. Just a few weeks ago, Sergeant First Class Monti posthumously received his just reward for his incredibly brave actions on June 21 2006.

I remember that night over three years ago like it was yesterday. The 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division commander, then-Colonel Mick Nicholson, had made the decision to push north up the Kunar Valley, through a town called Naray, into an area called Gowardesh. Jared Monti, the senior field artillery forward observer for 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry, took his team of 18 men as the advance element to cover an air assault scheduled for the next day. His squadron commander, LTC Mike Howard, positioned 120mm heavy mortars and 105mm artillery tubes to cover their advance.

As a short digression, it was General Tommy Franks, CENTCOM Commander during the beginning phases of combat in Afghanistan, who had initially refused deployment of all artillery and Apache helicopters into Afghanistan, conducting personal line item vetoes of equipment deployment rosters. Soon after Franks quit a year early, General John Abizaid took command and authorized the deployment of whole combat teams into the region that could adequately fight as they were designed. It would be the mortars and artillery that saved Jared Monti’s team that night.

As the advance element inserted at night and quietly infiltrated up thousands of feet to their mountaintop observation post, they had positional advantage over major routes of ingress and egress from Pakistan and known Al Qaeda hideouts. The plan was for the rest of the squadron, some 400 strong, to air assault into position the following evening, less than 24 hours away.

The weather moved in, though, preventing large-scale air assault and, after 24 hours, Monti’s team began running low on water and chow as they had gone in light. A brave Blackhawk UH-60 and Apache AH-64 crew ignored the bad weather and delivered a resupply to Monti’s team on the cutting edge of freedom in the towering, 15,000-foot peaks of the Hindu Kush.

While Jared and his team received their much-needed supplies, the enemy also had cued on the resupply mission. Methodically, Al Qaeda began to move into position throughout the night as if they were chess pieces.

Pretty soon, it was checkmate. SFC Monti and his team were surrounded by as many as 70 hardened fighters. The cavalry wasn’t going to be able to make it in time and the prepositioned artillery and U.S. Air Force were the only friends who could help. Colonel Nicholson and LTC Howard, monitoring from the nearest forward operating bases, directed the artillery units and air force to support SFC Monti’s team as the main effort.

As the enemy initiated the ambush, young Private First Class Brian Bradbury was providing flank security. The opening salvo wounded Bradbury who was about 20 meters away from the core element, huddled in 360 degree fashion returning fire against the fast approaching enemy. SFC Monti’s training and values kicked into high gear. He called for multiple danger close missions either near or on his position. As his own artillery stymied the Al Qaeda advance, he raced out to rescue the stranded PFC Bradbury. Intense machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire pushed him back as the enemy realized they had an American Soldier wounded in the open. SFC Monti returned three times to save the young PFC’s life.

Monti, though, was mortally wounded as he clawed forward to rescue Bradbury. As he lay dying, he uttered his final words. “I’ve made my peace with God. Tell my family I love them.”

Kind of makes the Polanski supporters look puny doesn’t it? Well, I guess, they are.

Further tragedy struck later that evening after the enemy had been denied through SFC Monti’s heroic actions. As the UH-60 medical evacuation aircraft hovered over the treacherous terrain, a brave medic named Staff Sergeant Heath Craig retrieved the first of two wounded using a cable hoist, commonly called a ‘jungle penetrator’ in the Vietnam War. After lifting the first casualty, Craig went back down for Bradbury.

As he ascended the second time with Bradbury, the hoist snapped as they neared the underbelly of the aircraft. Craig and Bradbury both perished as they fell onto the face of the rocks.

As far as ‘bad nights’ go, that was near the low point of the mission. Four great Americans, Sergeant First Class Jared Monti, Staff Sergeant Heath Craig, Sergeant Patrick Lybert, and Private First Class Brian Bradbury, were killed.

But the mission continued and the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain established the operating bases they had planned, thanks to Monti and his team, and began to significantly interdict the flow of enemy fighters and means of war.

Today, many of us who served in the 10th Mountain Division carry the spirit of those four brave men forward. Brigadier General John “Mick” Nicholson, then Monti’s brigade commander, told me today, “Jared Monti personified all that is best about the young men and women fighting for our nation: selfless, humble, competent, phenomenal leader, and universally respected. He loved his comrades so much that he laid down his life for them, a role model for us all.”

Monti’s Medal of Honor is yet another stark contrast to Hollywood’s duplicity as Whoopi Goldberg and her ilk lobby for Polanski’s release, while simultaneously this administration is suddenly more concerned with showing General McChrystal “Who’s the boss,” as opposed to making a timely, sound decision in Afghanistan.

For the sake of men such as Monti, Bradbury, Craig, and Lybert, we all need to do a mirror check and understand what has gone before us. These men got into the Al Qaeda wheelhouse and disrupted the enemy, paving the way for U.S. presence in enemy territory. They were the first behind enemy lines. They were brave, moral men who served a purpose larger than themselves.

Their sacrifice is symbolic of this war: a few Soldiers, alone and unafraid, on the cutting edge of freedom, against overwhelming odds.

Many on the West Coast and in Washington, DC would be well advised to reflect on the lives of SFC Monti and his teammates.

Such reflection may even convince some folks to make a timely decision.