German Bundeswehr Recognizes U.S. Forces in Northern Afghanistan







U.S. Army Brig. Gen Sean P. Mulholland, deputy commander, RC-North, U.S. Army Col. Daniel Williams, commander, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade and U.S. Army Col. Willard Burleson, commander, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. The commanders accepted the award on behalf of their units and all U.S. soldiers throughout the region

 ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan
2011-02-D-209
For Immediate Release

KABUL, Afghanistan (Feb. 28, 2011) — Commanders of U.S. forces in International Security Assistance Force Regional Command North were presented with Germany’s second highest military decoration for merit in Mazar-e Sharif district, Balkh province, Feb. 26.

The Silver Honour Cross of the Budeswehr for outstanding meritorious service was presented to U.S. Army Brig. Gen Sean P. Mulholland, deputy commander, RC-North, U.S. Army Col. Daniel Williams, commander, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade and U.S. Army Col. Willard Burleson, commander, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. The commanders accepted the award on behalf of their units and all U.S. soldiers throughout the region.

“We are honored to accept these prestigious awards on behalf of our soldiers in RC-North,” said Mulholland. “Teamwork is a great word but means nothing if there are no tangible actions demonstrated towards that goal. All ISAF participating nations in RC-North as well as our Afghan partners have made great strides towards synchronized plans and operations. RC-North soldiers and Afghan National Security Forces have executed operations with great success. We thank the German government and the German military for this consideration. We are all humbled by this great honor and are committed to continue to ‘press the fight’ as one team.”

Germany and the U.S. are two of 16 nations contributing to the 11,000 soldiers in RC-North and partnered with Afghan National Security Forces to provide not only a safer nation but also to develop governance and socio-economic programs.

Germany and the U.S. have enjoyed a long partnership of cooperation which was highlighted by German Army Maj. Gen. Hans-Werner Fritz, former RC-North commander, during a U.S. Department of Defense news briefing Jan. 4.

“They came down, they recovered the wounded, and then they started again,” describing the actions of two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the U.S. Army’s 4th Combat Aviation Brigade after an insurgent attacked a German position. “And obviously, being in the air again, they became aware that there was a dead soldier on the ground. And they came back under fire, they recovered the soldier and they said: we are taking home a fallen hero. This is the quality of the cooperation we are talking about.”

The award, signed by German Minister of Defense Karl-Theodor zu Guttenburg, was presented by German Army Lt. Gen. Rainer Glatz, commander, German Operations Command during a ceremony on Camp Marmal.