Monday, July 21, 2014

Staff Sgt. Ryan M. Pitts: Nation's Newest Medal of Honor Recipient; Army Opens 33,000 Positions To Women

"Valor was everywhere that day."...Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts



Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts: Medal of Honor Recipient

In 2003, Staff Sgt. Ryan Pitts joined the Army at age 17. He entered the Army's Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA. As part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Sgt. Pitts was deployed to Afghanistan twice.

In the pre-dawn hours of July 13, 2008, Sgt. Pitts was engaged in a fierce battle in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Wounded in one arm and both legs, he fired his machine gun at the enemy as well as lobbying several grenades. To prevent the enemy from gaining any ground, he directed other soldiers to fire at his position. His fellow soldiers finally reached Sgt. Pitts who was already bleeding profusely from his wounds and near death. Nine other soldiers died in battle that day and 27 others were wounded.

Despite life threatening injuries---injuries that merited retreat {from his observation post}---he continued to fight said Capt. Mathew Myer, Company Commander.
U.S. Army, CNN


Army Opens 33,000 Positions To Women



This week the Secretary of the Army announced the authorization in the opening of 33,000 positions formerly closed to women.

This change in policy means there are no more units in the Army closed to women. With this change, women can now serve anywhere in the Army---even in combat units.


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