 For
a special-forces team in the heat of battle, air cover can be the
difference between life and death. Staff Sgt. Covel was assigned in
Iraq to work with an elite team of 8 Army special-forces soldiers
and 10 “peshmerga” – indigenous Kurdish guerilla fighters.
In June
2004, part of the team headed from its safe house in the city center
back to base to re-supply. While they were gone, they received a
call that an attack on the safe house had begun. Based on previous
engagements, however, the team assumed it would be a quick skirmish
– even though some intelligence had warned of a massive offensive
that was in the works. By the time the team returned to the house,
they realized they were under an extremely fierce attack – an attack
that would last 36 hours and involve an estimated 200 insurgents.
As the tactical air controller, Covel quickly made his way to his
battle positions on the roof of an adjacent building so he could
locate the enemy positions and direct air support. Insurgents were
ready, and accurately fired on him as he crossed the short open
space. As he described it later, “It felt for a moment like I was in
some sort of movie, running as the dirt kicked up around me.”
On the roof, he set up his radios, requested air support, and began
the arduous task of identifying targets while under fire. As he was
doing so, another soldier in his position laid down cover fire so
that Covel could get a good look at the enemy's set-up. The
insurgents spotted the two and began firing a machine gun in their
direction, hitting Covel's partner in the ear. Another soldier
carried the injured soldier to safety, leaving Covel alone in what
he described as his own “little corner of hell.”
But he wasn't alone for long: A pair of Navy F-18 jets zoomed in low
and let loose with a heavy stream of fire on the positions Covel had
marked. They were followed by a steady stream of air cover
throughout the fight. The battle carried on for 36 hours – and so
Covel carried on for 36 hours, coordinating air attacks and using
his weapon to defend himself and his team. When Covel ran out of
equipment to mark targets, he radioed some Bradley fighting vehicles
in the area, asked the gunners to begin shooting at a specific
target, then told his air crew to look for the building or areas
where the Bradleys were firing. That was their next target.
In all, the small team of soldiers and peshmerga lost not a single
man, yet are credited with killing more than 100 insurgents. The
Army team recommended Covel for the Silver Star, and he received the
award on May 11, 2007. |
