On Aug. 26, 2008, Staff Sgt. Andrew Swilling received the Bronze Star with Valor Device for his actions in Diyala province, Iraq, on Aug. 31, 2007.
Staff Sgt. Swilling’s police training team had just received intelligence on an Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) cell that was meeting at a local mosque. Working with his Iraqi counterpart, Staff Sgt. Swilling developed a plan to take the insurgents by surprise. Two U.S. squads and one truckload of Iraqi police came up on the mosque and found 20 startled insurgents who immediately engaged with small arms fire. Staff Sgt. Swilling and his men overtook the insurgent strongholds within 10 minutes. A supporting element of insurgents counterattacked, as Staff Sgt. Swilling anticipated, and they continued to fight for another 20 minutes. Staff Sgt. Swilling later said “There’s only one thing I keep thinking during a firefight—if we can hold the initiative, we can control the enemy.” Staff Sgt. Swilling’s planning and execution resulted in six enemy killed, seven wounded and 18 taken prisoner and with no loss of his own men.
For his gallantry in action, Staff Sgt. Swilling is this week’s Warrior-Soldier.
As his wife, I am so proud of his many accomplishments in Iraq. I feel that he should be proud of his job in the military. This goes to show how great a soldier he is…… much love