CAMP PHOENIX, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (11/11/2008)(readMedia)-- A New York Army National Guard officer from Binghamton has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor for combat actions in Afghanistan.

Captain Joseph Merrill, the commander of Company D, 2^nd Battalion 108^th Infantry, received the award during a Veterans Day Ceremony.

Merrill was recognized for his part in a combat action that took place during the night of May 25-26 while the company was escorting a long-range convoy from Kabul to Kandahar. The convoy was hit in an ambush that turned into a three-hour firefight.

Merrill is credited with "direct actions that led to the repulsion of enemy forces without injury or death to US forces."

Also recognized for his actions that night was 1^st Sgt. James Meltz, the company's highest ranking enlisted Soldier and a Rensselaer County resident.

Both Merrill and Meltz previously served in Iraq with other New York National Guard units. In Afghanistan they have provided security and support for humanitarian outreach efforts and civil medical assistance operations.

"This is an honor," said Merrill who said he was surprised to receive the award. "That first night was a three hour fight," he said, adding that his men soundly defeated if not completely destroyed the enemy.

"As a company we will complete over 1100 missions before we finish," Merrill said. "We figured that after those incidents the enemy took note and for the most part then left us alone," he added.

According to Merrill the enemy deliberately avoided engaging up-armored humvees from his unit that carried the "phoenix" logo of Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix, which Merrill's company is part of.

The awards to Merrill and Meltz marked Veteran's Day for the deployed soldiers of the New York Army National Guard's 27^th Brigade Combat Team.

"Veterans are people who know the true meaning of courage and what it really takes to keep a nation free and strong," said Col. Brian K. Balfe, commander of CJTF-Phoenix and the 27^th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during his remarks. "And yet compassion is also a part of their legacy," he added.

CJTF-Phoenix is part of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan with the mission to mentor and train the Afghan National Army and Police, and provide assistance to the Government of Afghanistan and its people.

The task force is comprised of nearly 8,700 service men and women from all U.S. branches, coalition partners and civilian professionals distributed at almost 260 Forward Operating Bases and Combat Outposts throughout Afghanistan. Nearly 1700 members of New York's 27^th IBCT were mobilized for the mission. They came from communities across New York.

Posted Tuesday November 11, 2008 at 11:32 am by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
Last Updated Thursday August 26, 2010 at 09:25 am