Injured Marine recovering from wounds received in Sangin

Injured Marine recovering from wounds
JOSH SAMUELSON
Miles City Star
September 15, 2012

MILES CITY, Mont. (AP) — On the afternoon of July 11, Lcpl. Chris Bogner was with fellow Marines in Sangin, a city in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan.

Helmand, the largest of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan, is where a majority of the fighting between the U.S. and NATO forces and the Taliban is taking place.

Bogner and his fellow Marines were working with the Afghan Uniform Police, doing a foot patrol and clearing the area.

The Marines and Afghans traded spots throughout the patrol, and Bogner took over the lead, sweeping with a metal detector in search of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).

While he was in the lead, an IED exploded just a few feet in front of Bogner, and the 23-year old Miles Citian took the brunt of the explosion.

"At first, I didn't remember any of it," Bogner said. "I didn't know what was going on. But later, I read the after-action report. And then I was able to remember everything after that."

Bogner received the Purple Heart for his actions in Afghanistan. He also was promoted to corporal.

"I didn't really think about it much until they gave it to me," Bogner said. "I didn't think twice about it; I was just doing what I was supposed to be doing."
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