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| For immediate release |
Contact: Jim Colbert |
| October 28, 2003 |
(202) 667-3900 |
WAR ON TERROR VETERANS HONORED WITH “GRATEFUL NATION AWARD”
Enlisted and junior rank officers recognized with new JINSA award
(Washington, DC) - Outstanding representatives from each branch of the US military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and from the Special Operations Command) were honored last night with the “Grateful Nation Award,” created to recognize those from the enlisted and junior officer ranks who have distinguished themselves through superior conduct in the War on Terrorism since September 11. The awards were conferred by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) at its annual Henry M. Jackson Award dinner in Arlington, VA, before an audience that included top Pentagon officials, members of Congress and foreign dignitaries.
The six award recipients - including veterans of recent military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq; a New York Coast Guard reservist who helped evacuate her fellow Manhattan office workers on September 11; and a Marine Corps reservist who mentors troubled teens - were each chosen by their commanding officers in their respective services. JINSA organized travel for the recipients and their families to Washington, DC. At the ceremony, held at the Ritz Carlton-Pentagon City, each recipient was called to the podium to receive a carved-glass eagle statuette as their citations were read.
“Our men and women of the military deserve our most sincere appreciation for their service and sacrifice during these past two years,” said Tom Neumann, JINSA’s executive director. “Many times it is the generals and higher-ranking officers who get the plaudits for successful operations - and understandably so. But it is the lower ranks who are most often in the line of fire. Their tremendous courage and devotion to duty deserves frequent public recognition.”
The 2003 Grateful Nation Award recipients were:
- Chief Boatswain’s Mate Stephen Bass, United States Navy. Chief Petty Officer Bass was cited for his “extraordinary heroism” in recovering two Americans trapped by enemy forces in Northern Afghanistan. Bass completed his mission while under constant enemy fire and “without regard for his personal safety,” according to his commanders.
- First Sergeant John R. Hawley, United States Army. First Sgt. Hawley was cited for his actions with Charlie Company, Task Force Blue Devil, where Hawley was responsible for the operational readiness of all his soldiers in their deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Desert Freedom. First Sgt. Hawley’s unit is based in Fort Bragg, NC.
- Chief Boatswain’s Mate Paula Jaklitsch, United States Coast Guard. Chief Petty Officer Jaklitsch was cited for “exceptionally superior service” while assigned to Coast Guard Station New York. A reservist and certified financial advisor, Jaklitsch was en route to her office building in Manhattan when the first plane struck the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. That day, Jaklitsch assisted in the evacuation of 300 of her fellow employees and then immediately reported to her Coast Guard station, where she began a two-year tour of duty training fellow reservists activated to homeland security missions. As a result of her leadership, Coast Guard Station New York achieved the highest standards of readiness and received a coveted award, according to her superiors.
- Master Sergeant Michael Lamonica, United States Air Force. Master Sgt. Lamonica, a Special Tactics Superintendent of Gold Team at the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina, served in Afghanistan, where he earned three jump stars and performed the first Air Force military free fall combat jump in history. Sgt. Lamonica’s hometown is Wilmington, DE.
- Major George Thiebes, United States Special Operations Command. Major Thiebes, a US Army Green Beret, was cited for serving “with great distinction and valor” during Operation Iraqi Freedom as commander of a special operations unit that employed unconventional warfare and combat operations to defeat Ansar Al Islam, an entrenched terrorist organization dug into the mountains on the Iranian border with Iraq. His unit was also instrumental in the defeat of Iraqi corps and the surrender of the Muhajadeen El Khalq, a 5,000-member Iranian guerilla group. Thiebes is from Port Charlotte, FL and is based at Fort Carson, CO.
- Corporal Seth Wells, United States Marine Corps. Cpl. Wells, who hails from Battle Creek, MI and is based in Lansing with Company C, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, was cited for providing critical security, leadership and combat support for his squad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. When not deployed with his unit, Marine reservist Wells is an advisor to troubled teens in Battle Creek and a regular volunteer with the Corps’ annual Toys for Tots Program. Cpl. Wells, recently deployed to Kuwait following completion of his Iraq mission, was reunited with his family for the first time in well over a year at the JINSA event.
That night, JINSA also held presentation of its 21st annual Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson Distinguished Service Award, honoring Reps. Jane Harman (D-CA) and Jim Saxton (R-NJ) for their work in Congress on homeland security and national defense issues. Congressman Saxton is a leading member of the Armed Services Committee and serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities. Congresswoman Harman is the ranking member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and also sits on the Select Committee on Homeland Security.
The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs is an independent, non-partisan educational organization established in 1976 to educate the public on national and international security issues, including the importance of an effective U.S. defense capability and the key role of strategic allies, including Israel, to promote democratic values in the Middle East.
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