Bronze Star Recipient
Brian Hawthorne |
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When
Staff
Sergeant
Brian
Hawthorne
entered
the Army
Reserves
in 2003
as an
18-year-old,
he did
not know
in four
short
years he
would be
viewed
by
senior
officers,
fellow
comrades,
veterans,
and
students
as a
resolute
leader
who
consistently
rises to
the
occasion.
Hawthorne
first
deployed
to
Operation
Iraqi
Freedom
in May
2005
with the
Alpha
401st
Civil
Affairs
Battalion
to
Mosul.
He then
redeployed
to
Baghdad
with the
450th
Civil
Affairs
Battalion
(Airborne)
in July
2007.
Although
he
deployed
as a
Civil
Affairs
Specialist,
he
recognized
his
company
could
use his
secondary
military
medical
skills
when the
position
was
vacated
in 2007.
Without
a hint
of
hesitation,
Hawthorne
volunteered
to be
the
company
medic.
He took
initiative
to train
and
equip
his
fellow
company
and
brigade
members
in
combat
life
saving
skills.
On Sept.
26,
2007,
around
10:55
a.m.,
then-Sergeant
Hawthorne,
was
traveling
in the
second
vehicle
of a
five-vehicle
convoy
from the
West
Rasheed
Beladya
to a
nearby
water
treatment
plant
when the
third
vehicle
was
struck
by an
explosively-formed
penetrating
(EFP)
improvised
explosive
device.
The
convoy
was
halted.
While
under
attack
by an
armed
enemy,
“Doc
Hawthorne”
– as the
unit
came to
call him
--
remained
poised
and
directed
other
soldiers
to
assist
in the
evacuation
and
treatment
of five
casualties,
who
included
a
civilian
contractor
and
other
soldiers. |
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“The most severely
wounded (Sgt. Shaun Chandler) received
direct hits of the EFP slugs in his leg
and arms.”
“He sustained many broken bones, and had
severe blood loss,” Hawthorne recalled.
“I did what I was trained to do as a
medic,” he explained. “I applied
tourniquets, administered intravenous
fluids and medicines and treated the
soldier for shock.”
His Bronze Star Medal citation notes
that “there is no doubt that his efforts
and skill saved Sgt. Chandler's life.”
As the noncommissioned officer in charge
of security for his company, he led more
than 60 combat patrols, and participated
in more than 100 such patrols in his 10
months in Baghdad.
Hawthorne's military service and
impressive leadership skills did not
diminish when he returned from duty. The
23-year-old veteran co-founded the
George Washington University Veterans
Organization and is the D.C. director of
Student Veterans of America.
On a daily basis, Hawthorne reaches out
to fellow veterans by raising awareness
about organizations and campus
communities appealing to veterans and
creating a community of veterans willing
to discuss social and mental health
issues. |
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Photo and information courtesy of US Army / Dept. of
Defense |
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Bronze Star Recipients |
Other Heroes | |
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