Brendan O'Connor (U.S. Army)

Infobox Military Person
name= MSG Brendan W. O’Connor


caption=MSG O'Connor awarded DSC
lived=
placeofbirth=
nickname=
allegiance=flag|United States of America
branch= United States Army
serviceyears=
rank=Master Sergeant
commands=
unit=
battles=Operation Enduring Freedom
awards=Distinguished Service Cross
Bronze Star Master Sergeant Brendan W. O’Connor (born c. 1960) is a Special Forces medical sergeant in the United States Army. On April 30, 2008 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic action in Afghanistan.cite web
author = Henry Cunningham
title = Medic gets Distinguished Service Cross
publisher = The Fayetteville Observer
url = http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=292838
date = May 1, 2008
accessdate = ] The DSC is the nation's second highest award for valor (after the Medal of Honor) and this was only the second time since the Vietnam War that the medal was awarded.

Early life

O’Connor was born at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, the fifth of six children, to LTC Mortimer O'Connor and Elizabeth O'Connor. After his father died in combat in Vietnam, the family settled in Moorestown Township, New Jersey. O’Connor enlisted in the United States Army Reserves (USAR) and enrolled in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Valley Forge Military Junior College at Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1978. He was commissioned in 1980 and served as the Executive Officer of a Special Forces Team, later as a Rifle Platoon Leader and Rifle Company Commander, and then as a Team commander.cite web
author =
title = BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
publisher = U. S. Army
url = http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2008/April/O'Connor%20Biography.pdf
date = April 20, 2008
accessdate = 2008-05-03 ]

In 1994, he resigned his commission in the Reserves and enlisted in the Active Army to become a Special Forces medical sergeant. In 2005, he deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom as a medical sergeant and a team's Operations Sergeant.

Heroic action

On June 22, 2006, O'Connor and his team were ambushed by over 250 Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan. During the ensuing 17½ hours of intense combat, two soldiers were seriously wounded. A third soldier radioed for permission to kill the two wounded soldiers and himself to prevent the Taliban from capturing, then torturing, mutilating, and executing them.cite web
author =
title = MSG Brendan O'Connor - Someone You Should Know
publisher = Military.com
url = http://www.military.com/blog/blackfive
date = May 2, 2008
accessdate = 2008-05-03 ]

O'Connor started to crawl out to assist the two wounded soldiers but couldn't get low enough to avoid detection. He then removed his body armor and slowly crawled toward the two soldiers, taking a full 90 minutes to crawl 200 yards, while machine gun bullets passed close enough to cut down the grass around him. Eventually reaching the wounded, O'Connor gave them first aid, then moved them to a more secure position. [cite web
author = Kevin Maurer
title = Green Beret gets DSC for crawl to save soldiers
publisher = The Associated Press
url = http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/ap_bragg_dsc_050108/
date = May 3, 2008
accessdate = 2008-05-03 ]

Covered by a United States Air Force plane, the team was able to withdraw. They suffered two dead and one seriously wounded but had killed over 120 Taliban fighters. [cite web
author =
title = Green Berets Recount Deadly Taliban Ambush
publisher = CBS News "60 Minutes"
url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/18/60minutes/main4026734_page3.shtml
date = April 20, 2008
accessdate = 2008-05-03 ]

In a ceremony at Fort Bragg, O'Connor was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross while two other soldiers were awarded Silver Stars (one posthumously). [cite web
author =
title = Special Forces Soldier is awarded the second highest medal for combat
publisher = U. S. Army
url = http://news.soc.mil/releases/News%20Archive/2008/May/080501-01.html
date = May 1, 2008
accessdate = 2008-05-03 ]

References