11 airmen awarded medals - including 3 silver Stars

When I read stories like this, it's really hard to understand the honor we give to sports players and celebrities. It's hard to understand the glorification of politicians and commentators as if all they say is so important their every word must be covered. It's hard to believe that watching American Idol or reality TV shows are more important, more worthy of spending our time on than paying attention to the men and women risking their lives every day. Real heroes end up putting the lives of others ahead of their own every day but unless they do something really outstanding, we don't seem to pay any real attention to them at all. Even with these eleven receiving such high honors, there will be very few reporters covering any of their stories.

11 airmen awarded medals - including 3 silver Stars
Military: 11 airmen given medals – including 3 Silver Stars – for brave deeds
KRIS SHERMAN; Staff writer
Published: 04/30/1012:05

Machine gun rounds flew all around him from 30 feet away. He sprinted through the fire to a position from which he could attack. He shot a rocket-propelled grenade into a room occupied by Taliban fighters.

And when that didn’t clear them out, Air Force Staff Sgt. Sean Harvell dodged the gunfire again, covering his team as he went.

Then he called in airstrikes that reportedly killed more than 50 insurgents in Central Afghanistan’s Helmand River area.

Those were the local airman’s heroics on just one day, “during a savage eight-hour firefight,” according to his Air Force citation.

It earned Harvell a Silver Star award. He earned another two months earlier.


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