Women in Service: Army Sgt. Monica Lin Brown

For the next installment of our Women in Service series, American Veteran has chosen to highlight Army Sgt. Monica Lin Brown, who earned the Silver Star while serving in Afghanistan in 2007.

Brown, an Army medic from Lake Jackson, Texas, was in a convoy with the 4/82nd Airborne Division in the Paktia province of Afghanistan, when one of their Humvees was hit with a roadside bomb. Brown and her team were now stuck in the kill zone.

With small arms fire and mortar rounds raining down, Brown grabbed her medic bag and sprinted for the disabled vehicle. Five of Brown's fellow soldiers were strewn across the road near the Humvee, which was now engulfed in flames.

Rounds started to cook off inside the truck, forcing Brown to move the soldiers, if she had any intention of treating them. One-by-one, Brown pulled the troops to safety about 500 meters away from their burning Humvee, all the while using her own body to shield them from errant rounds and shrapnel from the falling mortars.

Thanks to her decisive action, Brown saved the lives of all five soldiers, who were quickly medivaced from the location. For her courageous and selfless acts under fire, Brown was awarded the Silver Star by Vice President Dick Cheney in March 2008.


(Photos, Top: Then-Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown receives the Silver Star from Vice President Dick Cheney during an awards ceremony in 2008. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Scott Davis, released. Bottom: Brown draws blood from a boy while nearing the end of her deployment to Afghanistan in 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Micah E. Clare, released.)

Women in Service: Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester

For the second installment of our Women in Service feature, American Veteran Online has chosen to highlight Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman to earn the Silver Star since WWII.

In 2005, Hester served in Iraq as a military police sergeant with the 627th Military Police Company of the Kentucky National Guard.

Hester and her squad leader, Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein, were each awarded the Silver Star, one of the nation's highest combat awards for valor, for their actions during an ambush in March 2005.

Hester's squad was providing security for a 30-vehicle convoy near the town of Salman Pak, when they came under attack by more than 50 insurgent fighters, leaving Hester and her team outnumbered five to one. The insurgents were intent on wiping out the entire convoy and taking drivers hostage.

When the insurgents attacked, they completely disabled the convoy's lead vehicle, rendering the main supply route impassable. The convoy and Hester's security team were now pinned inside the kill zone.

Thinking quickly, Hester moved her vehicle into a flanking position and ordered her MK19 gunner to lay down suppressive fire on irrigation ditches along the road where the insurgents had sought cover. From here, Hester dismounted her Humvee and joined up with Nein to clear the ditches. During the ensuing close-quarters combat, Hester and Nein successfully neutralized the enemy with small arms fire and grenades.

When the smoke cleared following the 25-minute firefight, 27 insurgents had been killed, six were wounded, and another was taken into custody. The insurgents had failed.

Hester was awarded the Silver Star for "conspicuous gallantry in action." Though she was the first woman to earn the award since WWII, she was the first female in the history of the U.S. military to be cited for valor in close-quarters combat.


(Photos: Top: Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester stands at parade rest after receiving her Silver Star during an award ceremony at Camp Victory, Iraq in 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeremy D. Crisp, released. Bottom: Hester looks over information at the Global War on Terrorism exhibit at the Army Women's Museum in Fort Lee, Va. The exhibit depicts the actions for which Hester earned her Silver Star during the 2005 ambush. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. John Soucy, released.)

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will continue our online series highlighting historic women's service in the U.S. military. Our next installment will feature Army Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman to earn the Silver Star since WWII.

We will also continue to cover the VA budget process for FY2010, as the Obama Administration looks for new ways to provide adequate funding for our veterans.

The AMVETS Legislative Department continues to push for student-veterans' "centers of excellence" with our leaders in Congress. We will keep you up to date on progress throughout the week.

Check back regularly with American Veteran Online for more news and info from around the veterans' community.