The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Master Sergeant Petter Jacobsen, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Operational Detachment Alpha 566 (ODA-566), 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 28 January 2006, at Najaf, Iraq. Master Sergeant Jacobsen’s heroism and bravery under intense enemy fire provided effective and accurate suppressive fire that supported the withdrawal of dismounted Iraqi army scouts, saving their lives. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, Special Operations Task Force – Central, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Master Sergeant Petter Jacobsen distinguished himself by gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Operational Detachment Alpha 566 (ODA-566), 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), in combat against enemy forces on 28 January 2006, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, at Najaf, Iraq. In the early morning hours of January 28th, a small contingent of Iraqi Army Scouts and the An Najaf Police attempted to negotiate with the “Soldiers of Heaven,” an extremist militant group that was preparing to assassinate some of the Islamic world’s most prominent Shi’a religious leaders, at their compound and, if necessary, detain the leaders. Gunfire erupted as the Iraqi Force approached the compound. Initial fighting was ferocious, as the vastly outnumbered Iraqi Force fought for survival. Although pinned down, with many casualties and half of their vehicles disabled, they continued to inflict heavy casualties on the much larger enemy force. At approximately 0700 hours, the Detachment 566 Commander received an urgent phone call from the Iraqi Army Scouts requesting immediate assistance. While U.S. Special Forces and Iraqi elements were preparing to move to the battle grounds, they received a second phone call. The An Najaf Governor requested the help of both U.S. ground and air combat support against the amassed enemy force. As Detachment 566 arrived on the battlefield, the Iraqi Scouts were isolated and suppressed by the heavy enemy fire. The detachment advanced to support the Iraqi Scouts and immediately received heavy volumes of enemy small arms, machine gun, rocket propelled grenade, and mortar fire. Master Sergeant Jacobsen, observing 15 pinned down Iraqi Scouts, disregarded heavy enemy machine gun fire, dismounted his vehicle, and used a shallow ditch for protection while engaging the enemy. He pounded the enemy’s fortified positions with LAW shoulder-launched rockets, forcing them out of their defenses into a less defendable area. As Master Sergeant Jacobsen then moved toward the pinned Iraqi Scouts, enemy reinforcements moved back into the fortified positions and resumed heavy fire. Master Sergeant Jacobsen, again ignoring his own safety, continued to suppress the enemy. His selfless, valorous actions allowed the 15 Iraqi Scouts to withdraw to friendly defensive positions, saving their lives. With the air strikes and arrival of Iraqi re-enforcements the enemy appeared to have been subdued with only pockets of resistance remaining. At this time, Detachment 566, AOB 510, and their Iraqi Forces counterparts, withdrew from the battlefield to refit and reorganize at their base. As these forces left the battlefield, Detachment 563 with their Iraqi Police Counterparts arrived to assist the Iraqi Forces in securing the enemy compound. They were not aware that over 750 fanatical militants remained in the well defended compound awaiting their chance to fight. When Detachment 563 and their Iraqi counterparts advanced on the compound, they were ambushed by a force firing from behind a large berm. The Green Berets responded by assaulting directly into the enemy fire, forcing the enemy back, and occupying the vital defensive position. The enemy fire once again intensified, and a U.S. Army Apache helicopter, supporting the ground troops, was shot down on the far side of the enemy compound away from the U.S. and Iraqi Forces. Detachment 563, facing overwhelming enemy resistance, was fully engaged and unable to secure the downed helicopter crew. With the renewed enemy resistance and a U.S. helicopter down behind enemy lines, Detachment 566, AOB 510, and their Iraqi counterparts returned to the fight. However, the battle was now at an even more intense level than before, and the Green Berets coordinated a massive effort including additional air strikes and re-enforcement by a U.S. Army Stryker battalion. Meanwhile, Detachment 563 continued to repel the enemy force and, with the help of close air support, began to push the enemy back and advance on their positions. Although two of the Green Berets received wounds and several of the Iraqi Soldiers were also wounded, they continued to drive back the enemy. As they secured the first trenches, they identified the level of sophisticated defensive positions the enemy had established. There were trenches behind the berms as far as the team could see. As Detachment 563 fought on, Detachment 566, AOB 510, and the Iraqi Forces were seeking the wreckage of the downed helicopter in hostile territory. The rescue element turned onto a road with a large berm, overlooking their exposed vehicles. Without warning, the enemy attacked from the top of this berm with rocket propelled grenades and machine guns. The Green Berets and Iraqi Forces engaged enemy as close as two meters away along a 300 meter gauntlet of fire. Master Sergeant Jacobsen’s vehicle was securing the rear of the column and was completely exposed to enemy machine gun fire. He engaged the enemy with his M240 machine gun, until it was damaged by direct enemy fire. As he transitioned to his M4 rifle he was struck in the helmet and arm by enemy rounds, and his M4 disabled by a third round. Wounded, he drew his pistol and continued to engage the enemy. Although this engagement resulted in the loss of several more Iraqi soldiers and the wounding of several Green Berets, their valiant efforts fended off the massive enemy ambush. Only later was it realized that the rescue element had driven through the heart of the enemy stronghold. The rescue element soon located the helicopter wreckage but was unable to secure it as they were still outnumbered by the enemy. The rescue team held a defensive position as close as they could to the downed helicopter in order to protect it from enemy approach. Once the U.S. Army Stryker battalion arrived, they were able to safely move to the crash site. Although the two-man crew of the Apache had died in the crash, the actions of the rescue element prevented the enemy from seizing the remains of these brave Americans. On the other side of the battlefield, Detachment 563 continued to suppress enemy resistance with their direct fire and firepower from U.S. air support. The enemy was now pinned between the two U.S. and Iraqi elements, and through coordinated air strikes which continued through the night, enemy resistance was broken. In the end, the U.S. and Iraqi forces had sustained casualties, but had killed hundreds of militants and detained over 200 more. This battle decisively destroyed the “Soldiers of Heaven” cult, and thwarted an attempt to assassinate several major Shia religious leaders. The actions of the U.S. and Iraqi Forces on 28 January 2007 prevented an extremist cult from disrupting the Iraqi efforts to rebuild their country.