Posted on 09/03/2016 7:58:33 AM PDT by darkwing104
The Air Force is considering upgrading the valor award won by TSgt. John Chapman from an Air Force Cross to a Medal of Honor. A recent review of a drone surveillance video of a 2002 firefight between a US special ops team and Al Qaeda fighters in the mountains of Afghanistan that killed seven Americans is now a focus of controversy. The newly discovered video shows that a Navy SEAL team left the area because its members believed Chapman to have been killed. The video, however, suggests that Chapman was still alive, that he killed two more insurgents and provided cover fire for an Army rescue helicopter before he was killed.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James is reportedly pressing for the Air Force Cross to be upgraded to a Medal of Honor. It would be the Air Force's first Medal of Honor awarded in the Global War on Terrorism. Such an upgrade is not new as the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to A1C William Pitsenbarger for his action in Vietnam.
TSgt. Chapman, 36, of Windsor Locks, Connecticut was inserted by helicopter into the vicinity of Gardez in the eastern highlands of Afghanistan for a reconnaissance and time-sensitive targeting close-air support mission. Sgt. Chapman’s aircraft came under heavy machine gun fire and received a direct hit from a rocket-propelled grenade which caused a United States Navy SEAL team member to fall from the aircraft. The heavily damaged aircraft made an emergency landing in the vicinity. Once away from the helicopter Sgt. Chapman established communication with an AC-130 gunship for close air support while the team was searching for missing team member.
The combat controller coordinated additional helicopters to remove stranded team and aircrew members from the downed helicopter.
(Excerpt) Read more at thecoachsteam.com ...
My son is currently in the pipeline for Combat Control Airman. It will be his challenge to follow the lead of heroes such as this.
I wish him the best. I am sure he is up to it.
A brave young man.
“”Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to A1C William Pitsenbarger for his action in Vietnam””
It took 34 years for the upgrade from the Air Force Cross to the MOH to take place. By that time, Bill’s mother had died but fortunately his father was still alive to attend the ceremony at Wright Pat. He passed away not long after.
Apparently the MOH was denied initially and the upgrade was held up all those years because of politics.
For years there has been talk about a movie being made and even tho’ a cast had been chosen, there’s no movement on it.
Never leave a man behind...unless he’s a zoomie??
“”My son is currently in the pipeline for Combat Control Airman. It will be his challenge to follow the lead of heroes such as this.””
Boy! Do we ever need young men like your son. We see too few in our country today or they don’t get noticed. I know you’re proud of him and he has our THANKS!
Chapman's body was recovered later in the day after the AC-130 cleaned up the Taliban. The Gunship was called in by TSgt Chapman. Don't blame the SEALs, they performed honorably in a terrible situation.
+1. Bad intel and the $hit was deep and fast.
BTTT agree .... !
“John 15:13”
Indeed, the SEAL leader had to make a tough call in a difficult situation; TSgt Chapman was wounded and lost consciousness. He was checked for a pulse and they couldn’t detect one, so the SEALs determined he had died from his wounds. So, they made the difficult decision to leave Chapman’s body behind as they withdrew from the area.
Now, we learn that UAV video showed Chapman crawl to a nearby bunker where he fought off two Taliban fighters (killing at least one) before succumbing to his wounds.
I cannot fault the SEAL leader. My only question is this: what sort of comms existed that day between SOF elements on the ground and intel teams at the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) facility that was supporting the mission. As DCGS has evolved, so have the comms, so troops on the ground can talk to the spooks (who are typically thousands of miles away) and see the UAV feed on a laptop.
These days, on a mission of that type, the intel analysts would have instantly alerted the SOF commander that a friendly had crawled into cover and was fighting alone. However, I cannot say with any certainty that the same comm capabilities existed when John Chapman made his courageous, last stand.
“Never leave a man behind...unless he’s a zoomie??”
CodeToad deserves an update: “zoomie” is USAF jargon for a graduate of USAFA.
But the sentiment CT noted is widespread in the US military.
The two senior service depts have never forgiven the US Army Air Forces (USAF’s immediate organizational predecessor) for coming out of nowhere, to help them win WWII.
US veterans routinely belittle USAF: they cannot acknowledge it as a legitimate branch of the “real” military.
Wounded, left for dead, then continues to fight and clear the way for his countrymen to live another day?
Above AND beyond..........
Indeed, the SEAL leader had to make a tough call in a difficult situation; TSgt Chapman was wounded and lost consciousness. He was checked for a pulse and they couldn’t detect one, so the SEALs determined he had died from his wounds. So, they made the difficult decision to leave Chapman’s body behind as they withdrew from the area.
Now, we learn that UAV video showed Chapman crawl to a nearby bunker where he fought off two Taliban fighters (killing at least one) before succumbing to his wounds.
I cannot fault the SEAL leader. My only question is this: what sort of comms existed that day between SOF elements on the ground and intel teams at the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) facility that was supporting the mission. As DCGS has evolved, so have the comms, so troops on the ground can talk to the spooks (who are typically thousands of miles away) and see the UAV feed on a laptop.
These days, on a mission of that type, the intel analysts would have instantly alerted the SOF commander that a friendly had crawled into cover and was fighting alone. However, I cannot say with any certainty that the same comm capabilities existed when John Chapman made his courageous, last stand.
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