Naperville, Ill., resident Maj. Michael M. Hoffman was presented the
Bronze Star Medal by Lt. Col. William Truax, executive officer
at Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group (MCSCG) during a ceremony
at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story, Virginia,
March 2, 2012. Photo by USMC Gunnery Sgt. Alexis Mulero |
|
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (3/2/2012) - Longtime Naperville, Ill., resident
Michael M. Hoffman was presented the Bronze Star Medal during a
ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story, Va.,
March 2.
Hoffman was presented this award for meritorious
service in connection with combat operations against the enemy while
serving as the operations officer for Battalion Landing Team Third
Battalion, Eight Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8, Second
Marine Division (FWD), Second Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD)
Afghanistan from December 2010 – May 2011 in support of Operation
Enduring Freedom.
According to the award citation, Hoffman
orchestrated the equipping, training, and introduction of over 1,400
ship-borne Marines and sailors into a previously unoccupied
battlespace with exceptional results. Initially working from Jordan,
he reconstituted the Battalion Landing Team from amphibious
shipping, coordinated pre-combat training, and helped acquire more
than 350 million dollars in equipment to establish a 7th Marine
Infantry Battalion in Afghanistan. |
Withstanding multiple improvised explosive device attacks
to determine the situation on the ground, he developed a
campaign plan that enabled security improvements to Route
611 and disrupted enemy operations in the surrounding area.
In four months, his operational directives increased traffic
along Route 611 from 59 vehicles per day to more than700
vehicles per day, and dramatically reduced the driving time
from Camp Leatherneck to the Upper Sangin Valley, from eight
days to just 12 hours with zero casualties.
The
citation also cited his work with Special Operations Task
Force-West to expand their village stability operations
infrastructure that established a coalition presence in a
former enemy stronghold and paved the way for improved
counterinsurgency efforts in the Upper
Gereshk Valley.
The Bronze Star Medal in the fourth
highest combat award and is awarded to any person who, while
serving in any capacity with the armed Forces of the United
States, distinguishes himself after 6 December 1941, by
heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving
participation in aerial flight. This is the second Bronze
Star Medal that Hoffman has received in his decorated
career. He is a veteran of both Operation Enduring and Iraqi
Freedom.
He is currently serving as a foreign area
officer with the Coordination, Liaison and Assessment Team
at Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group (MCSCG) in
Virginia Beach, Va.
Hoffman was commissioned as a Marine
Corps officer in 1999 after completing a bachelor's degree
from the Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
His parents Michael and Gail Hoffman still reside in the
Naperville, Ill., area.
Hoffman lives in the
Virginia Beach area of Virginia along with his wife Natalie,
who is a native of Wichita, Kan., and their two children
Matthew and William.
Marine Corps Security
Cooperation Group is a unit in the Marine Corps that
coordinates, manages, executes, and evaluates United States
Marine Corps Security Cooperation programs and activities,
to include assessment, planning, military related education
and training, and adviser support to ensure unity of effort
in building Partner Nation Security Forces (PNSF) capacity
and capability in order to facilitate USMC and regional
Marine Forces component support to combatant commanders
security cooperation objectives.
By USMC Sgt. Alexis Mulero
Marine Corps Security Cooperation
Group
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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