Their vehicles crawled up a mountain road at night in Afghanistan, with a 300-foot cliff on either side. It was a standard mission for the team of U.S. Green Berets—a Predator unmanned aircraft had spotted insurgents carrying rocket launchers into a house and the seven-man Special Forces team was called in to confirm.
Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, 24, volunteered to serve at the front of the mission on January 25, 2008. Since he spoke Pashto, it would be easier for him to communicate with the 15 Afghan soldiers they linked up with for the mission. Once they confirmed what the Predator saw, they would call in an air strike—at least that was the plan.
The drive up the mountain was stopped twice by boulders blocking the road, and the team had to destroy both using C-4 plastic explosives. “The second boulder was nearly within sight of the objective, so we had to come to a stop again and blow that boulder. I believe that’s when the enemy was tipped off,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Martin, according to the Army News Service.
When the team neared the house spotted by the Predator, through night vision goggles, they saw Taliban fighters moving out of the house and taking up positions, and a firefight erupted between the two forces.
The Green Berets thought they had the upper hand. The Taliban fighters were having little impact, and the Special Forces team was pounding them with return fire. Miller was sent in on foot with a small team.
“Nothing unusual about it,” Martin said, according to the Army News Service. “It became unusual after the initial bombs were dropped and we'd opened with heavy fire.”
Miller crossed a small bridge, armed with a M249 SAW light machine gun. As they moved forward, the entire hillside lit up with gunfire. The team was ambushed and found themselves in a close-quarters fight with the Taliban—less than 50 feet apart, according to the Army News Service.
The team leader, Capt. Robert B. Cusick, was wounded and went down, and Miller took command.
Miller told his men to take cover, and charged forward; throwing grenades and firing at the enemy forces with his SAW. By drawing fire from more than 100 enemy fighters, he allowed his teammates to retreat from the kill zone, carrying Cusick with them.
“I think he wanted to provide that extra firepower for his buddies so they could get out of the kill zone,” said Cusick, according to the Army News Service.
“He bounded forward; we moved back... he saved lives that day,” Cusick said.
Continued on the next page...
Miller’s parents, Phil and Maureen, and more than 100 of his friends and family, were invited to the White House on Oct. 6, where President Barack Obama awarded them the Medal of Honor , the nation’s highest military honor.
After giving his life to save more than 20 troops, Miller became the second Army recipient of the Medal of Honor for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is the third American soldier who has received the Medal of Honor in the war in Afghanistan.
“It has been said that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point,” Obama said. “For Rob Miller, the testing point came nearly three years ago, deep in a snowy Afghan valley. But the courage he displayed that day reflects every virtue that defined his life.”
After telling the story of Miller and his team, Obama said, “Finally, Rob Miller—and all those who give their lives in our name—endure in each of us. Every American is safer because of their service. And every American has a duty to remember and honor their sacrifice.”
“If we do—if we keep their legacy alive, if we keep faith with the freedoms they died to defend—then we can imagine a day, decades from now, when another child sits down at his desk, ponders the true meaning of heroism and finds inspiration in the story of a soldier—Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller and a generation that ‘fought day and night, fighting for what they thought was right,’” Obama said.
He added, “That is the meaning of this medal. And that is our summons today, as a proud and grateful nation.”
Prior to the ceremony, Miller’s mother, Maureen, said, “When we learned about the details of what Robby had done to receive the Medal of Honor nomination, we weren’t surprised and we also weren’t surprised at his reaction (in the field), because that was the sort of person he was, that’s what his training taught him to do and be,” according to the Army News Service.
“Being a stand-in and receiving the Medal of Honor on behalf of our son is obviously extremely important to us because it represents the gratitude of the country to one of their soldiers who performed so well and effectively in combat,” said Miller’s father, also a soldier, according to the Army News Service.
“Our son will become part of the written history of the United States,” he said.
Staff Sgt. Robert J. Miller, 24, volunteered to serve at the front of the mission on January 25, 2008. Since he spoke Pashto, it would be easier for him to communicate with the 15 Afghan soldiers they linked up with for the mission. Once they confirmed what the Predator saw, they would call in an air strike—at least that was the plan.
The drive up the mountain was stopped twice by boulders blocking the road, and the team had to destroy both using C-4 plastic explosives. “The second boulder was nearly within sight of the objective, so we had to come to a stop again and blow that boulder. I believe that’s when the enemy was tipped off,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Martin, according to the Army News Service.
When the team neared the house spotted by the Predator, through night vision goggles, they saw Taliban fighters moving out of the house and taking up positions, and a firefight erupted between the two forces.
The Green Berets thought they had the upper hand. The Taliban fighters were having little impact, and the Special Forces team was pounding them with return fire. Miller was sent in on foot with a small team.
“Nothing unusual about it,” Martin said, according to the Army News Service. “It became unusual after the initial bombs were dropped and we'd opened with heavy fire.”
Miller crossed a small bridge, armed with a M249 SAW light machine gun. As they moved forward, the entire hillside lit up with gunfire. The team was ambushed and found themselves in a close-quarters fight with the Taliban—less than 50 feet apart, according to the Army News Service.
The team leader, Capt. Robert B. Cusick, was wounded and went down, and Miller took command.
Miller told his men to take cover, and charged forward; throwing grenades and firing at the enemy forces with his SAW. By drawing fire from more than 100 enemy fighters, he allowed his teammates to retreat from the kill zone, carrying Cusick with them.
“I think he wanted to provide that extra firepower for his buddies so they could get out of the kill zone,” said Cusick, according to the Army News Service.
“He bounded forward; we moved back... he saved lives that day,” Cusick said.
Continued on the next page...
Courage Under Fire
Miller’s parents, Phil and Maureen, and more than 100 of his friends and family, were invited to the White House on Oct. 6, where President Barack Obama awarded them the Medal of Honor , the nation’s highest military honor.
After giving his life to save more than 20 troops, Miller became the second Army recipient of the Medal of Honor for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is the third American soldier who has received the Medal of Honor in the war in Afghanistan.
“It has been said that courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point,” Obama said. “For Rob Miller, the testing point came nearly three years ago, deep in a snowy Afghan valley. But the courage he displayed that day reflects every virtue that defined his life.”
After telling the story of Miller and his team, Obama said, “Finally, Rob Miller—and all those who give their lives in our name—endure in each of us. Every American is safer because of their service. And every American has a duty to remember and honor their sacrifice.”
“If we do—if we keep their legacy alive, if we keep faith with the freedoms they died to defend—then we can imagine a day, decades from now, when another child sits down at his desk, ponders the true meaning of heroism and finds inspiration in the story of a soldier—Staff Sergeant Robert J. Miller and a generation that ‘fought day and night, fighting for what they thought was right,’” Obama said.
He added, “That is the meaning of this medal. And that is our summons today, as a proud and grateful nation.”
Prior to the ceremony, Miller’s mother, Maureen, said, “When we learned about the details of what Robby had done to receive the Medal of Honor nomination, we weren’t surprised and we also weren’t surprised at his reaction (in the field), because that was the sort of person he was, that’s what his training taught him to do and be,” according to the Army News Service.
“Being a stand-in and receiving the Medal of Honor on behalf of our son is obviously extremely important to us because it represents the gratitude of the country to one of their soldiers who performed so well and effectively in combat,” said Miller’s father, also a soldier, according to the Army News Service.
“Our son will become part of the written history of the United States,” he said.
To read what the what The Medal of Honor is, continue on the 3rd page...
The Medal of Honor
Under the United States Code, Title 10m, “The President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a medal of honor of appropriate design, with ribbons and appurtenances, to a person who while a member of the Army, distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”
The award was created in 1861, and was first given to American troops who fought in the Civil War. Since then, more than 3,400 Medals of Honor have been bestowed on American forces, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History.
The two other recipients of the Medal of Honor in the war in Afghanistan were Army Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti, and Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy.
Monti and his 16-man patrol were attacked by up to 50 enemy fighters. He had his men set up defenses, called in fire support, and fought off the enemy. “Staff Sergeant Monti then realized that one of his soldiers was lying wounded in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol’s position,” according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History.
He made two attempts to rescue the wounded soldier “Determined not to leave his soldier, Staff Sergeant Monti made a third attempt to cross open terrain through intense enemy fire,” according to the Center. “On this final attempt, he was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his fellow soldier. Staff Sergeant Monti’s selfless acts of heroism inspired his patrol to fight off the larger enemy force.”
Murphy was part of a special reconnaissance element with the Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Afghanistan. He and his four-member team were attacked by between 30 and 40 Taliban fighters on June 28, 2005.
Despite the odds, he led his men in engaging the Taliban. “The ensuing fierce firefight resulted in numerous enemy casualties, as well as the wounding of all four members of the team. Ignoring his own wounds and demonstrating exceptional composure, Lieutenant Murphy continued to lead and encourage his men,” according to the Center.
After the team’s primary communicator was killed, Murphy moved under heavy fire to get a position where he could call for support. According to the Center, “Lieutenant Murphy maintained his exposed position while he provided his location and requested immediate support for his team.
It adds, “In his final act of bravery, he continued to engage the enemy until he was mortally wounded, gallantly giving his life for his country and for the cause of freedom.”
The two other recipients of the Medal of Honor in the war in Afghanistan were Army Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti, and Navy Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy.
Monti and his 16-man patrol were attacked by up to 50 enemy fighters. He had his men set up defenses, called in fire support, and fought off the enemy. “Staff Sergeant Monti then realized that one of his soldiers was lying wounded in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol’s position,” according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History.
He made two attempts to rescue the wounded soldier “Determined not to leave his soldier, Staff Sergeant Monti made a third attempt to cross open terrain through intense enemy fire,” according to the Center. “On this final attempt, he was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his fellow soldier. Staff Sergeant Monti’s selfless acts of heroism inspired his patrol to fight off the larger enemy force.”
Murphy was part of a special reconnaissance element with the Naval Special Warfare Task Unit Afghanistan. He and his four-member team were attacked by between 30 and 40 Taliban fighters on June 28, 2005.
Despite the odds, he led his men in engaging the Taliban. “The ensuing fierce firefight resulted in numerous enemy casualties, as well as the wounding of all four members of the team. Ignoring his own wounds and demonstrating exceptional composure, Lieutenant Murphy continued to lead and encourage his men,” according to the Center.
After the team’s primary communicator was killed, Murphy moved under heavy fire to get a position where he could call for support. According to the Center, “Lieutenant Murphy maintained his exposed position while he provided his location and requested immediate support for his team.
It adds, “In his final act of bravery, he continued to engage the enemy until he was mortally wounded, gallantly giving his life for his country and for the cause of freedom.”
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