European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                June stars and stripes heroes Page 13 i could hear the bullets whizzing by by Jimmy Norris stars and stripes staff Alan Martinez said his experience in operation desert storm in 1991 did almost Noth ing to prepare him for what he would face in Iraq in desert storm was completely he it was a live fire if you ask in operation iraqi he we had to adapt to unconventional ways of doing it was my first time getting shot my first time dealing with Home made bombs and my first time being a squad Leader and master gunner with the Kan Sas based company 1st 41st infantry regi Martinez described his experiences during the inva Sion of Iraq As 36 hours of continuous Road marching followed by 72 hours of fight it was his actions during those 72 hours that earned him the Bronze Star with shortly after entering the fighting in Martin eds unit was ordered to conduct a a Man Euver intended to draw enemy in order to give forces from the 82nd airborne division room to they were getting chewed up and had no Armor As Martinez whose Job was to operate his m113 armoured personnel carriers machine Rode near his units who also were in an As his unit neared the enemy they began taking fire from Small rocket propelled grenades and Martinez said the medics m113 was in a dangerously exposed so he told them to move their vehicle behind his in order to provide them some As he tried to provide cover for the a Threeman enemy team attempted to engage Martinez name staff Alan Martinez unit company 1st 41st infantry medal Bronze Star with v earned awarded May for actions from March Courtesy of Alan Martinez staff Alan and Darren Mendiola ride in a Bradley fighting vehicle shortly after fighting in i could hear the bullets whizzing he i Laid the Cal Down on in assuming there i didst Stop to in another Martinez unit was assaulting an iraqi stronghold while under heavy mortar and Reg one iraqi Soldier with an Reg had set his sights on an 82nd airborne division Bradley fighting Martinez radioed the Bradley Crew and told them about the but the iraqi was too Well the Only one who could see the Martinez opened fire and neutralized the according to the award he courageously engaged and destroyed numerous enemy secur ing strategic Strong Points allowing for a highly Success Ful Mission completion without he said his experience has changed the Way he looks at it makes you rethink he you thank god every Day that youre still you learn to appreciate the Little pleasures in email Jimmy Norris at  1 thought for sure we would be shot down7 by Vince Little stars and stripes antiaircraft rocket pro pulled grenades and a Chin gun fire lit the night Over the notorious Sadr City Section of army chief warrant officer 4 Doug Hud an ah64d Longbow Apache had just helped free ground forces from an his formation was called to destroy a suspected weapons Cache we fixed the and set up Racetrack patterns 500 meters to the East for an Huddleston we immediately began taking varied enemy weapon system from All direct looking through his night vision sys he saw streaks of Light there were so Many bullets and Rock ets flying at i thought for sure we army chief officer 4 Doug Huddleston unit 1st 227th aviation 4th brigade combat 1st cavalry Divi medal three air med als Wittiv earned april Over Sadr City Section of Baghdad in the Battle for Najaf and near the Abu a Hraibe would be shot he the apaches pumped 30 my Cannon fire into the on a second they ignited it in a series of explosions that shot 400 feet an estimated 128 insurgents mostly Sadr militia were Huddleston emerged with a prestigious air medal with v device for his the first of three hed earn in a yearlong deployment to Camp the action in Sadr on april began when elements of the 1st cavalry divisions 4th brigade combat team were Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles took Reg and machine gun fire while dismounted patrols faced snipers in the the Apache pilots plotted the Lead Pla Courtesy of Doug Huddleston chief warrant officer 4 Doug an ah64d Longbow Apache earned the air medal with three times during a yearlong deployment to Toons location and then suppressed the enemy with Cannon strafing Huddleston ah64d was hit several but All systems continued to function the ground forces eventually broke Contact and moved to a Safe Posi but two soldiers were several others were wounded and two Bradley were destroyed in the the attack helicopters then took out the weapons Cache before returning to Camp Huddleston he had a few bumps and but soon discovered his aircraft had sustained structural dam age to its main after looking at the aircraft after our second turn in the far Forward arming and refuelling it baffled me As to How the aircraft had brought us he Huddleston second medal was earned during the August 2004 Battle for on the third night of enemy operating from the Haifa mosque riddled his Apache with armo piercing rugs and machine gun he suffered a loss of but continued wiping out enemy forces and mortar positions in you count on the airman you Fly with and you put each others lives in your f f chief warrant officer 4 Doug Huddleston the Vicinity of Friendly troops with 30 my Cannon guns and he picked up a third decoration three months later while providing Aerial cover age for convoys moving into the fal Lujah after one came under the apaches levelled two houses and killed an estimated 50 of now is the safety officer and Apache Pilot in command for 1st battalion 2nd Avia Tion 2nd infantry Divi Sion at Camp South he says his win men and Crew including warrant officers Carl Patrick Brian Haas and Chris Miles and first lieutenants Derek Smith and Sean Mcbride got him through you get for one split then the reality that every gun Pilot has to Deal with if i dont kill this Guy that shooting at myself or my Wingman will Huddleston it happens so fast you dont have time to feel its calculated tactics and firing the weapon you count on the airman you Fly and you put each others lives in your Huddleston said he considers this a group we did our Best to protect the soldiers and marines on the he i Pray we did our part to help the people of to give them free elections and a Chance at a democratic and the Hope of a better Emal Vince Little at