European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 stars and stripes heroes june the Taliban were waiting for us by Bryan Mitchell stars and stripes staff Jared Pietras didst deploy to Afghanistan to earn a Chest full of he didst storm into a Hail of enemy gunfire during the opening Salvo of last years Spring offensive to impress any name staff Jared Pietras unit 352nd special operations group medal Bronze Star with v1 earned Spring 2006 in Southern Afghanistan and the special opera tons airman didst Rescue three dozen afghan sol Diers pinned Down by Taliban fight ers in a be eluded grape Field to be called a the Quick witted 25yearold South Carolina affectionately known to his fellow airmen As said he did All that and More during a perilous six month afghan tour for his its not for and its not for the Pietras said from his units head quarters on Raf Mildenhall in i do it for my and i know they do it for Pietras was a grueling tour in the Kan Dahar Region sweating through Long Days and toiling through even longer nights in a volatile Region alongside coalition partners and american special opera Pietras tons counter in which he established himself As an intrepid Leader and selfless the Mission kicked off on a brutal his squad was airlifted into a Southern Afghanistan an area with a Rich history of combat where Mujahideen fighters had Defeated a soviet Force decades he was part of a team positioned to control the North Side of the while an army special forces team held the South but when his team touched Down in the the plan was immediately interrupted under a fierce As soon As we exited the Back of the we started getting shot he we had a pre bombing but apparently it want the 352nd special operations group combat controller stuck to the and began calling in air we had to neutralize the whole area so we could get More ground forces he we were doing that for a Good 36 hours the Taliban were waiting for and had dug in for a Good they had beat the russians and thought they could do the same to the fighting in the Valley prompted Pietras to scale a nearby Mountain for a higher Vantage Point for calling in air he ultimately took control of All the airspace above the momentarily postponing a bomber strike to expedite an emergency medical the coalition forces ultimately seized the and sought to engage Taliban fighters in the greater the push was still to go but we knew it  be he Days Pietras found himself again in the midst of a communication difficulties in the geographically challenging Region had left roughly three dozen afghan soldiers stranded in a secluded grape Field under attack by Well armed Pietras formed an Impromptu Rescue party with two other special forces sol who sneaked undetected into the grape Field and rescued their that just How it is out i didst even know those soldiers before that and we just went in and did we were three going to get 36 Guys he when you look us three shoot ing our Way out of that Field with the of we were three Guys going to get 36 Guys w staff Jared Pietras Ghans running behind All of us smiling and its pretty but you dont think that when its for his actions in his Singu Lar dedication to his comrades and his acts of courage in the face of overwhelming Pietras has been awarded three separate Bronze stars with v device and is under consideration for awards from foreign governments As his actions have not gone unnoticed by his peaches has shown great initiative and said senior master Mickey the top enlisted airmen in Pietras this was proven when he was selected As the 2004 air Force combat control airman of the and As an element his leadership is proven for the Bronze stars affirm his role in the nations fight against i joined the air Force special Ops to do exactly to find out How i would react in these kind of and i liked what i found out in he i know that in willing to do what it takes for my the medals and awards Are but its the recognition from my Peers that makes this Job Spe email Bryan Mitchell at  weve been training for this lets go by Jeff Schogol stars and stripes m Arine Armando Espinoza faced the Prospect of going to a hot Landing zone with no combat aircraft escort and Only minimal weapons aboard the two ch46 sea Knight helicopters in his Sec but he knew wounded marines needed to be so he turned to his Crew and said he was going but that he would drop off anyone who did not want to then he who with me the answer i got from everybody is what i expected hey weve been training for this lets said it was about 4 on april when Espinoza was ordered to take off to pick up the wounded at the who immigrated to the United states from Mexico when he was 2 years was with Marine medium Marine helicopter Squadron known As the red because his Section Leader was having problems with his radio and navigation Espinoza took the Lead for the operation after the two helicopters took he that meant it was his Job to work the radio to try to Call in for combat Espinoza after being told none were Espinoza spied some cobra helicopters and asked if they could tag but Espinoza said the cobra Leader told id love to join but in out of Gas and i have no the two helicopters went on to the Landing and Espinoza helicopter took sniper he marines on the ground and a door gun Ner from the other helicopter provided name Armando Espinoza unit Marine medium Marine helicopter squad Ron 268 medal distinguished flying Cross with v earned april in Baghdad suppressing fire while Espinoza helicopter took on wounded after dropping the wounded marines at a Fleet surgical Center South of Espinoza and the other helicopter on his Section were ordered to return to the Landing zone to pick up More he on the Way Espinoza could see that All hell is breaking Loose below in he the two helicopters again picked up casualties at the Landing but it was not Long after taking off that they received a Call of even More casual ties that needed to be Evascu so Espinoza decided to break off and return to the Landing zone unescorted and that a questionable he but Espinoza made it Back to the land ing zone and took on More As his helicopter started taking Espinoza asked a corpsman How the patients were he said there doing just Fly the expletive Espinoza it became Clear Espinoza helicopter had gone too far to the East and accidentally veered Over Saddam now known As Sadr it was not a Friendly place to he the area was essentially a nobly but Espinoza helicopter took Only sporadic Courtesy of Armando Espinoza Marine Armando standing behind the gentleman crouched was awarded the distinguished flying Cross with v for leading a two helicopter team into a hot Landing zone to evacuate wounded i think everyone was surprised that we were dumb enough to Fly Over Sadr Espinoza once Espinoza made it Back to unload his and his Section went on to Fly five missions that Day including an Impromptu resupply Mission after a Marine handed someone in his Section the cardboard sleeve for a ready to eat with the message written on it we need ammo water resupply and we need a fuel tank or an Aav amphibious assault by the time his Section stood Down about 11 that Espinoza had helped evacuate 21 marines and seven iraqi civilians who had been caught in the now a Espinoza received the distinguished flying Cross with a combat v for his actions that Day Over who has since rejoined his credits his entire Squadron for the Days when i accepted the i accepted it for the red i accepted it for the email Jeff Schogol at