The President of the United States of America, authorized by Executive Order 11046, 24 August 1962, takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal to Sergeant First Class Richard Quintana, United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious service while serving with the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, from 15 November 2004 to 1 July 2005. His outstanding dedication to duty during combat operations in Iraq contributed to the overwhelming success of the Command’s mission. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Sergeant First Class Richard Quintana distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service to the United States as a Senior Vehicle Mechanic, for Advance Operational Base 010, Baghdad, Iraq, from 15 November 2004 to 1 July 2005, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. Sergeant First Class Quintana performed and managed all aspects of organizational and direct support maintenance and planned and coordinated maintenance support on over 96 pieces of equipment, to include 22 tactical vehicles, 50 Indigenous Operational Vehicles (IOV), 12 All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) and 12 Non-Standard Tactical Vehicles (NSTV) providing safe and reliable vehicles for four Operational Detachment Alphas (ODAs) and one Operational Detachment Bravo (ODB) in which to perform combat operations as well. He was instrumental in the initial set up and organization of the maintenance facility at the AOB. His efforts resulted in construction of an enduring system that has been able to better facilitate the maintenance of equipment within the Advanced Operational Base for present and future operations by minimizing downtime where the vehicles were separated from the teams conducting combat operations. He ensured the teams were able to complete their missions, which required driving in excess of 50,000 miles with minimal down time due to vehicle failures. With his knowledge of the Class IX system and his ability to use all available resources, Sergeant First Class Quintana was able to acquire hard-to-get parts utilizing local units in the area of operation, local vendors both in Iraq and the United States, and by utilizing the Special Operations Sustainment and Visibility Information and Exchange system (SSAVIE). By using SSAVIE, Sergeant First Class Quintana saved the unit over $20 thousand and minimized downtime of equipment. Working outside his career field and with little prior training, he conducted multiple Advanced Special Operations (ASO) and Close Target Reconnaissance (CTR) missions in this non-permissive environment. Sergeant First Class Quintana collection actionable intelligence needed for numerous Iraqi strike elements to execute sensitive missions capturing dozens of enemy personnel and equipment that prevented the insurgents from using these devices against Coalition Forces. Sergeant First Class Quintana’s contribution during Advanced Special Operations and Special Reconnaissance missions provided in excess of 20 targets for the newly developed Strike and Recce teams giving them the opportunity to hone their skills in order to sustain future unilateral operations and provide better security for the government and people of Iraq. During over 210 days of continuous combat operations and strenuous combat patrols, Sergeant First Class Quintana kept all Up-Armored high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles and IOVs fully operational, which contributed greatly to no lives lost during convoys. His actions have furthers the stability of this new nation and impacted the security posture of Baghdad. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army.