Members of the 1stBrigade Combat Team were cited in June for bravery in combat during an Oct. 26, 2017 ambush in Afghanistan. Three soldiers — 1stLt. Tyler Wojtasinski, Spec. Brad Cook and Spec. Miles L. Shoemaker — earned Bronze Star medals with valor devices. Another — Staff Sgt. Kevin Aetonu — received an Army Commendation Medal with valor device.
Official records show that the soldiers encountered 30 Taliban fighters, who began shooting at them with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons. The soldiers reacted by relying upon their training. Soldiers in other nearby platoons had begun taking on casualties. The cadre responded by falling back to safer rooftop positions, and then returning fire upon their attackers. They assumed positions and weapons that were abandoned by Afghan soldiers who had fled once the attack started. They continued the fight while accounting for casualties. In time, attack aircraft came and bombarded the Taliban attackers — effectively ending the fight.
“Our actions on that rooftop, absolutely stopped and slowed down the enemy,” said Shoemaker. “They were very quickly advancing toward our position with heavy fire. We grabbed one of the machine guns that wasn’t being used. We got on that roof, and we did our job.”
The award ceremony took place at Fort Drum, N.Y.