|
 U.S.
Army
Major
Jason
Taylor
received
a Bronze
Star for
exceptional
service
during
his 2007
to 2009
deployment
to Iraq.
While
the
medal
cites
his
service
throughout
the
deployment,
Taylor
believes
that in
particular
it was
his
participation
in the
three
month
fight
for Sadr
City,
that
earned
him
recognition.
As Fire
Effects
Cell
Battle
Major,
Taylor
coordinated
operations
for
lethal
and
non-lethal
fires,
working
to
ensure
that
fire
power
was
being
used
effectively
and
accurately.
Based at
Camp
Liberty
in
Baghdad,
Taylor
worked
closely
with the
other
branches
of the
military
to
coordinate
everything
from
fixed
wing
operations
with the
Air
Force to
helicopter
aviation
operations
with the
Army, to
unmanned
aerial
vehicles
operations.
In the
three
month
long
battle
for Sadr
City,
Taylor
worked
from the
Command
Information
Center (CIC)
with the
soldiers
on the
ground,
he said.
The
ground
forces
would
move
into the
area
where
the
enemy
was
located,
he said.
“The bad
guys
would
shoot
out of
there.
It was
like a
sanctuary
for
them,”
he said.
The
soldiers
on the
ground
would
communicate
with
Taylor
in the
CIC. And
using
technology
Taylor
could
get
visuals
of the
area
those
soldiers
didn't
have.
Working
together,
they
could
aim
rockets
and
other
firepower
into the
right
areas of
Sadr
City, he
said.
“The
guys on
the
ground
would
tell us
where
they
wanted
to
shoot.
We would
work up
a fire
mission
for
them,
and send
it to
the
Multiple
Launch
Rocket
System
team,”
he said.
Commissioned
in May
of 1997,
Taylor
said he
had
always
wanted
to join
the
Army.
“It just
seemed
like the
right
thing to
do,” he
said.
“It was
a family
tradition.
My
father
and
grandfather
served.”
Taylor's
father
served
in the
Marine
Corps,
and his
grandfather
served
in the
Army, he
said.
His
other
grandfather
was in
the Air
Force.
Of the
men and
women he
served
with,
Taylor
said “it
was a
very
good
group.
Everybody
worked
well
together.
Everyone
was good
at their
job and
knew
what to
do,
--from
private
on up to
general.”
“It was
a good
job. I
learned
a lot of
good
stuff,”
he said.
“You get
to see
stuff
you
wouldn't
normally
see.”
The best
part he
said was
“that we
were
helping
protect
the guys
who were
actually
on the
ground.
“You
sometimes
get a
feeling
of guilt
that
you're
not
there
with
them.
But
hopefully
you're
saving
lives.” |
