|
 U.S.
Army Major John T.
McConnell, Jr. distinguished
himself in the performance
of outstanding service to
the United States as the
Adjutant for Special
Operations Task
Force-Central, Baghdad, Iraq
from August 25, 2006 until
March 25, 2007.
McConnell provided personnel
support to over 870
personnel, including Army,
Navy, Air Force, National
Guard, civilian employees,
contractors, and the Iraqi
Special Operations Force.
McConnell maintained
accountability for all
personnel across the
battlefield to include over
150 interpreters and 1,500
Iraqi Special Operation
Forces Soldiers. His work
enabled the commander to
have accurate information on
personnel strength and
readiness. This made it
possible for four Special
Forces Companies, 25
Operational Detachments and
a Naval Special Warfare Task
Unit to be effectively
manned.
"The most interesting,
challenging part [of the
deployment] would be that
I'm an AG guy," McConnell
said, referring to his role
as an Adjutant General,
which he described as a
"paper pusher type of guy."
"I was fortunate enough to
work with a Special Forces
Unit," he said. "Not just
because they were great guys
to work with, the cream of
the crop, but also to see
how to do their jobs."
McConnell was also
intricately involved in all
other critical personnel
functions, including
casualty reporting, managing
the Task Force's
distinguished visitors,
Morale Welfare and
Recreation, daily Joint
Personnel Status Report,
evaluations, awards, mail,
personnel actions, finance,
and promotions.
In addition to these
functions, McConnell
conducted over 15 combat
operations with a Special
Forces Detachment alongside
a Battalion of the Iraqi
Special Operation Forces
Brigade.
Being able to go out on
missions with the Special
Forces soldiers was another
rare opportunity this
deployment offered,
McConnell said.
During one operation in the
very hostile Sadr City,
McConnell served as a M240B
gunner on the back of an
assault vehicle.
"That was the most
action...that I ever saw."
McConnell said.
During the convoy's journey,
the vehicle he was riding in
began receiving small arms
and machine gun fire. He
returned fire on the
fighting position and
ensured the convoy's safe
exit from the area.
"Surprisingly it was not
[scary]," McConnell said.
Rather he described it as
"almost surreal".
"Training kind of kicks in,"
he said. "It was just kind
of instinctive to kind of
crouch down and lay some
suppressive fire."
The Special Forces
detachment was "so well
trained, so well prepared,
so heavily armed, you feel
comfortable riding around in
the back of an open humvee,
rather than the heavily
armored ones that everyone
else rides in. It's an
atmosphere that they
produce," he said.
McConnell also worked
diligently to provide the
funding needed to rebuild
the Hillah Special Weapons
and Tactics office after a
bomb placed on the building
detonated, destroying the
building and killing the
Commander and Executive
Officer inside. Getting this
funding proved especially
challenging, so McConnell's
efforts went a long way in
increasing the trust and
confidence of the Iraqi
police in Coalition Forces.
"McConnell's hard work and
dedication greatly
contributed to the
operational success of the
command's mission,"
according to the narrative
of his award citation.
"It was a really good
experience," McConnell said. |
