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 Captain Joshua P. Brandon, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as the Military Transition Team Intelligence Officer for the 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Infantry Division, during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 20 and 21 August 2006, in Adhamiyah, Iraq.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Captain Joshua Brandon, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy as the Military Transition S-2, 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment during Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07. At 201000AUG06, Captain Brandon and the 4-320th MITT arrived at CP4 on the intersection of Muhammad Al Kasim and Army Canal Highways in response to a call for reinforcements by the A/1/2/6 IA Commander Captain Mushtaq. The IA checkpoint had been overrun by over 100 armed and uniformed Jayish Al Mahdi fighters and hundreds of Shia Marchers making the 7th Imam pilgrimage. The JAM fighters, along with elements from the National Police, Iraqi Police, and the Iraqi Army, were engaged in heavy small arms fire with Sunni Local Nationals to the West, centered around the Al Farkahn Mosque, in the Sleikh neighborhood. Captain Brandon immediately linked up with the IA company commander, assisted him in moving an IP casualty to cover, and then moved forward towards the JAM fighters. After quickly determining that engaging the Militiamen in a direct firefight would result in numerous innocent civilian casualties, Captain Brandon, with no regard to his own safety, charged into the group of 50 -70 JAM fighters and began seizing weapons in the hope that it would inspire the outnumbered IA to take action against the Militiamen. As the JAM fighters began to backtrack North across the bridge, Major Ullian ordered Captain Brandon back to the safety of the MITT HMMWVs. From here, Major Ullian, Captain Brandon, and Captain Shaha forced the JAM element and the Shia marchers back across the bridge while under fire from Sunni LNs. At this point, Captain Brandon, assessing that the fire from the Sunni neighborhood would soon cause the IA to retreat as they were black on ammunition and water, called for covering fire from MAJ Ullian and Captain Shaha. Captain Brandon sprinted forward across an open area, while rounds impacted around his feet and on the barrier behind him, in order to link up with the suppressed IA element and rally them to attack the Sunni battle positions. Joined by MAJ Ullian, Captain Brandon ordered his first MITT section to suppress the enemy, while he assembled a combined MITT and IA assault element on a flanking maneuver to the South. He again crossed the danger area under heavy fire, set in the support by fire, and then led the assault element to the south west towards Al Farkahn mosque. The flanking element came under fire from Sunni AIF, and Captain Brandon led the element west to east and came up from behind the Sunni AIF, routing their battle position. Captain Brandon then swept from the mosque to the Northwest where the element came under fire from five AIF and a medium machine gun battle position suppressing the ISF on the bridge. After returning fire, Captain Brandon, MAJ Ullian, and four IA pursued the fleeing Sunni fighters, detaining three of them with weapons while clearing two houses. As a result of the flanking maneuver, two Sunni fighters were killed, 5 assault rifles and a medium machine gun were seized, and the Sunni battle positions in Sleikh were routed. Captain Brandon and the combined assault element linked up with the rest of the MITT element at the bridge where 9 DIV IA armor had set up a battle position on the bridge to protect the marchers. JAM fighters, under the cover of the tanks, set up battle positions with the tanks, and began firing indiscriminately into Sleikh. While MAJ Ullian and Captain Shaha secured the south side of the bridge, Captain Brandon led the MITT second section to the North side of the bridge. Under sustained fire, he and SSG Fraas exited their vehicle and charged approximately 75 JAM fighters, forcing them from the bridge and into the Shia neighborhood to the north. He then joined MAJ Ullian and Captain Shaha in dispersing JAM fighters from IA tanks. While countless rounds ricocheted off of the armored vehicles, Captain Brandon ran from tank to tank forcing Militiamen off and silencing the fire of the tanks. Soon after this, the MITT element was relieved by the 506th RCT QRF. Captain Brandon’s sound decisions and inspirational leadership enabled a 20 man platoon to hold nearly a thousand angry Shias and Militiamen at bay; to fix, flank and defeat a Sunni AIF force in Sleikh and stop the movements and fires of an entire Iraqi Army Armor column, helping to prevent a massacre. Captain Brandon’s actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, the 506th Regimental Combat Team, the 4th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.