DSC & Navy Cross earned in Benghazi
The Washington Times‘s Rowan Scarbough reports that two Delta force members were secretly awarded a Distinguished Service Cross and a Navy Cross for their actions at the Benghazi consulate on September 11th, 2012;
The Washington Times has reported that two Delta Force members were among a seven-person rescue team sent from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli to Benghazi on the night of Sept. 11, 2012. Their mission: rescue diplomats, security personnel and CIA employees pinned down by terrorists about a mile from the U.S. diplomatic mission where Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and aide Sean Smith were killed by al Qaeda-directed militants.
Two of those seven were Delta Force operators. The Times can now report that one was an Army soldier and the other a Marine.
The soldier was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Marine received the Navy Cross for heroism.
The bestowal of the awards was done in secret.
Even though we’ll never hear about the award from the real folks who earned them, I’m sure we’ll hear from the fifty or so phonies who will claim the awards in the next few years.
Category: Real Soldiers
It’s not my fault that my entire personnel file is classified Above Top Secret Presidential Eyes Only.
I call bullshit on this story. I have it from very reputable authority (Obama, Clinton, Panetta, Carney, Rice) that the US couldn’t get anyone to the area to help in time. So, obviously, this is a Duffel Blog story.
I am betting the number of individuals caught claiming to be one of the 2 skyrockets in the next year or so, or someone will defend their own claims of “classified awards” by citing this… though as we see the award is not classified, only the individuals names and their citation are not public. The award will still be listed on their DD214
This was first reported in the Washington Times of 30 October. It is NOT a good thing for the administration which, as OT alluded to, stated unequivocally that there were no special ops people deployed. There weren’t deployed in the sense that a unit was dispatched to the consulate after the attack began. They were two operators who volunteered to go in and they did. The remainder, it was reported, were essentially on guard duty at the Tripoli. Of course, their mission—what they were originally in Libya for in the first place—is the thing.
Methinks the Washington Times got something screwed up or missed some detail…Delta is made up of only Army personnel. If the other guy was a Marine, he was probably an attachment.
Kudos to both men though…can’t wait to hear about the fake claims in the following months
This was noted in the 60 minutes Benghazi report that Jonn posted here some time ago, I commented on it at the time. Given the way this issue has been dealt with by the political class, I’m a little surprised that these awards were approved. Somebody higher up did the right thing.
Incredible. They don’t give out those honors for nothing, some truly amazing heroics went on that night.
Hopefully one day we’ll read about the whole story (and we will I’m sure).
It was me !!! I got it for running a drone from my trailer park !!!
What you don’t believe me???
Well then, many thanks and a heartfelt salute to the men that did earn these awards. They truly are the best and brightest our country has to offer.
I will have to capitchulate that I was wrong. I was told NC went to a Sailor.
I suspect these awards were fast tracked by senior mil officers (without political appointee knowledge) in order to cement in history what actually happened.
Hats off the Amry and SOCOM!
BZ to Team that went in when no one else would or could have.
You guys have got it all wrong. Both these awards went to Obama. Just like when he flew to Pakistan, kicked in the door and shot Bin Laden. He flew to Benghazi, tried to rescue as many as he could, then flew back.
That’s why no one knows where he was that night and they “allege” he was on his way to Vegas to play golf with Tiger Woods. Pishaw I say.
He just lets these other organizations take the credit because he’s such a quiet professional.
“this information will not be released if it could potentially lead to a compromise of national security, or potentially create undue risk to the security and privacy of the awardee and his/her family”
Female Marine Delta Force!
Question from a 12-year Army Airborne Veteran…… Can anyone confirm this?
“Delta Force, a counterterrorism unit in the secretive Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), has been thought of as a strictly Army outfit. But it does take on qualified “operators,” as they are called, from other services”
@12, I am marginally familiar with the subject and to me the implication is that you could apply and assess and then branch transfer from the USMC, for example, to the Army as you enter the actual training cycle.
Tman. Correct. Typically, the Crosses are awarded secretly because the nature of the unit. It is also recognized that due to the nature of the unit and what is expected of its members the MoH is kinda off the table. Just read the Navy Cross citations of Slabinski and Bass. Those citations were classified for years. Then read the first hand accounts of what they did. Holy Friggin’ we mere mortals have nothing on guys like this. Pure titanium balls, I say. MoH or NC … NC wins because MoH would have been too much trouble and brought unwanted attention to some severe badass capable dudes. Both were attached to SAS and or SBU at the time.
Of course there is the action of the two Delta men in Mog, I believe as most others do, they gave their lives knowingly and willingly to give others a chance to live. MoH material no doubt!
One more time, to address a couple of inquiries above:
SOCOM and JSOC et al are joint and combined. Will aways be joint and combined. Not uncommon for bubbas from other countries and other services to be on scene.
wow… thanks for sharing. I have been out of the proverbial “loop” for a lil bit but this is news. thanks.
@14, this link describes the actions of Slabinski and Bass, as well as others who received citations for their actions.
http://www.mrc.org/media-reality-check/touting-military-misdeeds-hiding-heroes-0
concerning post 4…. shhhh. seriously. please.
For more about Slabinski read “Robert’s Ridge”. SLAB opens and closes the book. The book is a must read. It details everything (all official footnotes) and reaches into all who served and died on the mountain. SLAB’s payback towards the end of the book will make you reach for a bottle of Crown. Britt is a great man!
MCPO NYC, good points.
I’m sure the actions of these two could warrant the MoH, but the secrecy thing.
Hey ALS boy, what, you’re not posting comments and picking and choosing what you’ll allow as comments, no wonder half of your shitbags on here have no clue and follow you blindly. Yeah CAG only has Army in it……lmfao
Pardon my ignorance, but is it possible that the Marine was simply serving in a joint unit that also contained CAG/Delta/whatever operators, or perhaps he was serving on an exchange tour? Similar to Charlie Beck’s tour with the SAS that inspired the creation of Delta Force?
As MCPO said, these are all joint groups. That they may have been predominantly “Delta” doesn’t mean a stray SEAL or MARSOC Marine wouldn’t have been among the group.