 The
event had all the makings of a celebration: A large crowd of
dignitaries, medical personnel, and civilians gathered for the
opening of an emergency room at Khost City Hospital in Afghanistan.
It was a scene that would not have taken place during the reign of
the Taliban – and a scene the enemies of a free Afghanistan try to
prevent at all costs.
On February 20, 2007, Staff Sgt. Jason Fetty, at great personal
risk, thwarted a suicide attack at the hospital, and saved countless
people. For his actions, he was given the Silver Star, the first
Silver Star earned by an Army Reserve soldier in Afghanistan.
Fetty was serving on assignment with the 364th Civil Affairs Group,
Joint Provincial Reconstruction Team in Khost. After the
ribbon-cutting ceremony at the hospital, commotion suddenly ensued:
Patients, nurses, and doctors sprinted out of the hospital. Fetty
recognized many of the faces at the event, having been in Khost for
more than ten months.
He did not, however, recognize one man in a lab coat, who was moving
slowly as the crowd fled. Fetty identified him as a potential “bad
guy” and shouted at him to stop. The man, who Fetty said looked
“crazy in the eyes,” quickly approached Fetty and tried to grab his
rifle. Fetty lured him away from the crowd – even as he realized
there was a very real possibility that he had a suicide vest.
None of the options were good: If Fetty fired his weapon, civilians
could be caught in the crossfire, or, even worse, the suicide vest
could detonate. If he didn't fire, the attacker might be able to
wrestle away his weapon. Fetty continued to struggle with the
attacker and was finally able to maneuver so he could safely fire
his M-16.
His first shot struck the man in the leg. Another shot hit him in
the stomach. Despite the injuries, the attacker was still determined
to detonate the bomb strapped to his chest. Realizing what was about
to happen, Fetty took three running steps and leapt away just as the
man detonated his vest. The blast left Fetty with shrapnel wounds on
his face, leg, and ankle.
By leading the attacker from the crowd, Fetty allowed for the
evacuation of all medical personnel and dignitaries, which included
the governor of the province, the primary target of the bombing. For
his gallantry, Fetty received the Silver Star as well as a Purple
Heart. The Parkersburg, W.V., native is currently assigned to a
combat support hospital in Pennsylvania. |
