European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse June 2007 stars and stripes heroes Page 23 shooting just everywhere by Kent Harris stars and stripes the last time staff David bar Beret left he was on with an embarrassing Story to of the fact that he had a pair of medals earned for his valor in the country kept the ribbing to a or at least As Light As such things get in an air borne i fell in a Barberet said of the torn ligaments he suffered in his which would eventually require surgery at Aviano air base when he returned to i could have flown out but we Only had a few Days so i decided to stay with my after All we had been from new earned a Bronze Star with army commendation medal with v and a Bronze Star during his last stint in Afghanistan with the 2nd 503rd infantry now Hes Back in country again As operations sergeant for the battalion command name staff David Barberet unit 2nd 503rd infantry regiment medal Bronze Star with v earned Zabul Afghanistan he led 1st 1st platoon from company b Over hundreds of Miles in patrols during his tour in much of the he and his men were based in a Forward operating base plopped Down in the mountainous North of Zabul because of the Ter patrols by vehicle we rent that meant a lot of that included the Early morning incident when he didst see a Man sized Hole in front of he needed help to get and spent his last week in country hobbling just a few weeks Barberet Man aged to emerge from an intense firefight without any he was credited with saving the life of Kris a Mem ber of his operation which kicked off was supposed to be a 65kilome Ter patrol in the South part of the District of Day after conducting a search of the Village of the soldiers began walking toward the Village of but Only about 800 Yards outside of bar berets squad found itself in an am with very Little Barberet crawled into a Small depression in the Barberet ground and directed his men in returning Miller was hit in the hand and continued to then he was hit the Bullet passed from one Side of his Chest to the braving bullets that were striking the ground around raced to Millers he stopped the blood flow and called in i had never applied first Aid to any one under direct fire Barberet or tried to treat a sucking Chest his treatment kept Miller alive until a medic and later a Chinook helicopter could arrive and take him away for soldiers firing mortars and Apache helicopters forced the enemy to air assets had also played a role in another of the squads Battles they were called to reinforce other ele ments of the company on july enter ing a Village surrounded by shooting just started erupting every he some elements held the High exchanging fire with enemy elements on other ill had never applied first Aid to anyone under direct fire or tried to treat a sucking Chest w staff David Barberet bar berets squad made its Way up one then was directed to head Down and take another while his squad was moving As quickly As it could Over the Valley separating the two navigating through Waist High they came under fire from both the front and every one made it to the second Mountain and began to climb rounds Are ricocheting right by your off Barberet one of his two saw gunners ran out of then the other every one else was getting Low As but they continued the a10 warthogs had joined the suppress ing much of the fire coming from behind by hitting the first a b52 flew dropping bar berets squad gained the Heights to find the enemy had eight and half hours after the fight it was but Barberet and his squad had hundreds of Miles and several More fire fights left to email Kent Harris at when there Are Guys you stay t each f15e pass below the Clouds triggered a heavy barrage of antiaircraft artillery and Small rockets from by Jennifer Svan stars and stripes he Clouds were the risk High As Schaefer and his backseat weapons systems but Schaefer stayed operator dipped to drop 500and until his bombs ran out and the iraqi tanks laser guided they saw exploding chunks of 1 j j i i n Lead and Light arcs from tracer gun fire aimed at burned in the it was the most intense combat Mission of his and the reason from Eagle wears the distinguished flying Cross with As Dawn approached on april then a was leading a two ship name John Schaefer Iii unit 336th expedition Ary fighter Squadron medal distinguished flying Cross with earned april Over Baghdad team of f15e strike it was their second sortie of the in route to an area North of they were diverted a ground unit advancing toward Baghdad was in Trou ble on the Southeast Side of the where a major Battle was about to numerous iraqi Republican guard t72 tanks were posturing to attack the exposed right flank of the 1st Marine expeditionary forces Forward according to schaefers award Schaefer part of the 336th expeditionary fighter Squadron deployed from Seymour Johnson air Force to Al Deid air Qatar and the other strike arrived to fight about an hour shy of they spotted the iraqi tanks on a Small Ridge line engaging the but the iraqis could see a Low Cloud cover forced Schaefer and his Wing Man to an Altitude where stealth want a Factor even less so As the morning sky typically we operate at medium to higher Alti Schaefer said in a recent phone interview from Osan air South where he works for the 607th combat plans to get the Job done that we had to operate very which meant they could see us very the strike eagles were about As visible As an ant going across a White Schaefer the iraqi tanks shoot at the but the if it starts somewhere and follows you know there after Schaefer said of the Schaefer made 10 to 12 passes below the Clouds in two every time we make a they get a Little bit smarter on us and it gets a Little More he the iraqis saved their most lethal weapon for the last pass we they launched a big sur facet air missile at Schaefer operating As Low As we its very the missile was aimed at schaefers he saw it launch off the kicking up a big Cloud of dust and you see it with a huge flame behind Man Euver ing towards he in a Las ditch Man Euver of his Schaefer jettisoned his external Gas tanks to avoid the missile and shot it in 10 bombs were dropped seven by three by his Wingman in the other f15e and 10 tanks were with laser guided we rarely Schaefer Schaefer stayed until he was out of his final glimpse of the Battlefield was of a Small Victory burning tanks and iraqi equipment operators run Ning when we there was nothing credible of that iraqi tank he in his award Schaefer is credited with preventing a major tank Battle despite significant risk to his own and aiding the historical Progress of the 1st Marine expeditionary Force towards Schaefer could have opted to pull out from the fight much declaring weather conditions too risky for the we could have he but there was Only one decision to be made that he i dont think i have a Choice when there Are Guys Courtesy of the air Force ground air defense with which tank units screaming for help on the he you John Schaefer Iii dodged a surface air among typically and email Jennifer Svan at other As a major during a 2003 combat Mission in
