Posted on 04/30/2014 3:56:48 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
In her last moments of life, Army nurse Capt. Jennifer Moreno heard two orders.
One was a call to help a wounded soldier struck by a blast in a booby-trapped killing field at an Afghanistan bomb-making compound.
The other was a command to stay put lest she strike another mine in the bomb belt.
The nurse from Madigan Army Medical Center chose to help the wounded soldier, and gave her life trying.
(snip)
Moreno heard a call from a staff sergeant to help a wounded soldier. At the same time, the battle’s ground commander told all of the soldiers to stay where they were. Moreno’s body remained on the field.
Three soldiers from Crockett’s unit tried to retrieve her, but struck the 11th explosive.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
Sometimes a soldier has to try - regardless the odds.
But a true mine field is one hairy beast.
In the Moment she probably could live with herself easier if she tried. Those moments are personal and can’t be gainsaid. Why those other guys went to such length to retrieve a dead body is a mystery to me.
Obviously a sweet kid with a great heart.
The going got tough, and she got going.
High marks, as far as I’m concerned, and a place beside the throne above.
She gave her life trying to retireve fallen comrades. Seems to me that she deserves more than a bronze star. I would think that would at least rate a silver star...
Obstacles in Depth are designed to attrit a force down by degree ( in this case, explosive devices and likely small arms covering fires).
Once you are committed, there is no easy way out, withdraw and leave wounded or dead comrades n the kill zone, press on and attempt to defeat the obstacle by hand or with tools, only to be engaged directly by small arms. victim-activated mines and IEDs are most difficult, as they likely are all different in terms of initiation mechanism, and in AFG, very little metallic content to detect with a sensor like a mine detector.
Woulda, shoulda coulda.
Few heroes or heroines make easy choices.
God Bless our Rangers and Army Nurses.
As a young man and even today, I often have wondered whether I would have had the courage to do what some of our brave soldiers have done.
Capt. Morendo is one of them.
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