Story by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Chris Fahey, NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan Public Affairs

KABUL – Two Hartselle natives assigned to NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan received awards Dec. 3 for actions taken in early August when their team successfully combated an insurgent attack in Kabul. Army Specialists Timothy Pierce and Richard Smith helped defeat a multi-phased attack in which insurgents used small arms and improvised explosive devices to attack the British Council Building – a base located in a relatively upscale area of the country’s capital used for education and helping Afghanistan’s civil society groups. Although no U.S. service members were harmed, 12 people died in the attack. Commander, Task Force Yankee Army Brig. General John Hammond presented 10 soldiers with Joint Service Achievement Medals and combat action badges, one soldier with a Joint Service Commendation Medal and a combat medical badge, one soldier with an Army Commendation Medal and one soldier with a combat action badge.

“I’m extremely proud of the soldiers,” said Hammond. “Our medics responded to the wounded while the remaining soldiers worked toward assisting the Afghan partners and special operations forces in neutralizing the insurgents … they all worked hard and came together extremely well.”

Army Specialist Richard Smith from the 1165th Military Police Unit assigned to Task Force Yankee in Kabul receives a Joint Service Achievement Medal and a combat action badge for actions taken early August when his team successfully combated an insurgent attack on the British Council Building.

Activated in 2009, NTM-A is a coalition of 37 contributing nations charged with assisting the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) in generating a capable and sustainable Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) ready to take lead of their country’s security by 2014.

All Soldiers are deployed with the 1165th Military Police Company.

Joint Service Achievement Medal and combat action badges recipients: Army Sgt. Christopher Jackson, Army Specialist Richard Smith, Army Sgt. Chester Tolbert, Army Specialist Wesley Stokes, Army Specialist Matthew Crane, Army Specialist Colby Young, Army Specialist Timothy Fleming, Army Specialist Timothy Pierce, Army Specialist Daniel Fowler and Army Specialist Brandon Hammack.

Joint Service Commendation Medal and combat medical badge recipient: Army Cpl. Stuart Cookson. Army Commendation Medal recipient: Army Staff Sgt. Mark Moon. Combat action badge recipient: Army Private 1st Class Shawn Lucombe.