Marine Awarded Silver Star

Marine Corps Cpl. Jason Jones of San Angelo, Texas, was awarded the Silver Star medal for his heroic actions while attached to a unit of soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Division and members of the Afghan army during a July 13 firefight against at least 200 enemy attackers in eastern Afghanistan. According the medal citation, Jones saved an Afghan soldier’s life, and later ran in the face of enemy gunfire across 130 meters of open field while wielding a machine gun, to help suppress an attack that had pinned down some U.S. soldiers. Once he arrived at the soldiers’ location, Jones provided first aid to the wounded. Jones, attached to Headquarters and Service Company, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, received the award during an April 2 ceremony at Camp Schwab, Okinawa. He was serving a 10-month auxiliary billet as a trainer for the Afghan army at the time of the incident.