Staff Sgt. Nathan Hervey
Scout sniper section leader, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines
Helmand Province, Afghanistan
May 21, 2011
Award: Bronze Star w/ Combat “V”
After establishing an overwatch position in support of an interdiction of enemy forces in the area, then-Sergeant Hervey directed his Marines to engage with precision and machine gun fires as insurgents attempted to occupy a position to ambush a Marine squad. As the engagement continued, the enemy reinforced with heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles and rocket propelled grenades. Seeing the adjacent Marines’ situation deteriorating, Sergeant Hervey began moving his snipers north, personally sweeping for explosive devices, and attempting to establish an attack by fire position as Marine reinforcements arrived. As he continued to move, enemy forces began engaging with automatic grenade launcher fire while he discovered an explosive device in his path. With the insurgents now in platoon strength, the sniper section began prosecuting multiple targets despite intense enemy fire in order to protect an isolated and exposed adjacent unit that had struck an improvised explosive device. As the enemy began reinforcing, Sergeant Hervey coordinated with his company headquarters to provide the critical guidance for multiple aerial and indirect fire strikes that destroyed the enemy’s heavy weapons and forced the insurgents’ withdrawal.
1 comment
Get some! Bravo Zulu to SSgt Hervey and his men for adapting to the situation and taking the fight to a crafty enemy, who was not afraid to fight. I was in Nimruz Province at the same with RCT-2 advising 2d BDE, 215 Corps of the Afghan National Army and there was no doubt some tough fighting in places like Sagin, Musa Qala and Now Sad. We relied heavily on our Scout Snipers to ID enemy positions, fix and finish any enemy combatants. Like my American Express Card…I don’t go to war without them. As they liked to say at the Scout Sniper Course…Don’t bother running, you’ll only die tired.