bobdina
07-18-2009, 03:00 PM
No award yet but this is heroic
A soldier from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) has faced Taliban gunfire to help out colleagues in trouble not once but twice in recent months.
Sergeant
Sergeant Andrew McNulty of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters)
Sergeant Andrew McNulty first showed his fighting spirit when he rolled his broken-down vehicle down a hill to join his colleagues in a battle with the Taliban.
Then only a few weeks later he saved the lives of three colleagues after their vehicle plunged into a fast-flowing canal in the dead of night in Helmand province.
Sgt McNulty, known to all as 'Mac', is in the middle of a six-month deployment to Helmand province, Afghanistan. He is the Platoon Sergeant, the Second-in-Command, of Ava Platoon, a 30-strong team based at Camp Bastion providing protection for the huge resupply convoys, known as Combat Logistic Patrols (CLPs), conducted by 19 Light Brigade Combat Service Support Battalion.
On a recent resupply convoy, which included about 100 vehicles and snaked for more than 3km through the Helmand desert, Sgt McNulty was in a vehicle which had broken-down when the Taliban attacked the convoy as it went over a hill.
Sgt McNulty was in charge of a heavily-armed Weapons Mounted Installation Kit vehicle, or WMIK, which carries heavy and grenade-firing machine guns. His vehicle was in the middle of the convoy when it began experiencing difficulties as they went up a steep hillside of soft sand. He said:
"[We] pushed it to the brow of the hill before we leapt back into the cab and using the momentum of the hill we rolled about 800 metres until we levelled out in a valley where the firefight was taking place."
Sergeant Andrew McNulty
"My vehicle was having trouble with the gears because of the sand and the clutch went so we couldn't move anywhere. At that point we heard gunfire over the other side of the hill as another vehicle, about 1km ahead, came into contact."
At that stage his Platoon Commander, Captain Jack Bellfield, came past in a different vehicle, himself eager to offer protection to the convoy:
"I asked my Platoon Commander to tow our vehicle to the top of the hill," said Sgt McNulty.
"Initially the plan was to tow us to the top of the hill so I could fire, but when I got to the top there was something in the way so we could see our colleagues but we couldn't see the enemy's firing point."
Capt Bellfield had already unhooked his vehicle and driven on to get into the battle. But Sgt McNulty was determined not to be thwarted from his task:
"We jumped out of the WMIK, just opened the doors and pushed it to the brow of the hill before we leapt back into the cab and using the momentum of the hill we rolled about 800 metres until we levelled out in a valley where the firefight was taking place," he added.
Sergeant Andrew McNulty
With the vehicle coming to a stop however and coming under fire Sgt McNulty and his team still couldn’t get an accurate shot on the enemy, so they jumped out and pushed the vehicle again to allow them to get a clean shot:
"There is only one reason that my platoon was brought to Helmand and that's to protect the CLPs," he said. "My vehicle has got a lot of fire power on board plus medical facilities, so I've got a lot of assets. No matter how we do it we have to get my vehicle to the fight; that's all that went through my mind."
The firefight lasted about 45 minutes, with the CLP passing through the danger zone relatively unscathed. Sgt McNulty said:
"It is crucially important to ensure the safety of the CLP and the delivery of the essential supplies to the troops out in the forward operating bases and smaller patrol bases; they rely on us for ammunition, rations and water. Some items are delivered by helicopter but the main bulk of their supply is via the CLPs."
After this incident Sgt McNulty once again showed his bravery when he noticed a wheel sticking out of the water in a canal as another CLP made its way to a forward operating base from Camp Bastion.
"His selfless actions undoubtedly saved the lives of three of his colleagues. It's clearly an innate part of his character, given how he responded just one month ago when his vehicle broke down as the enemy attacked another convoy."
Captain Jack Bellfield
Close to Nad e-Ali, fast-flowing water had eroded the path that the convoy was moving along, causing it to collapse under a Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle. The vehicle tumbled into the water trapping three soldiers inside it.
In the pitch darkness the accident had gone unnoticed by the rest of the 40-vehicle convoy.
Bringing up the rear of the convoy in a Mastiff, Sgt McNulty glanced out at the canal and could just make out the shape of a wheel protruding from the water.
One of the three soldiers inside the Panther was completely submerged in the back of the vehicle:
"I knew I didn't have much time. I managed to pull the driver out the driver's side window and then pulled the passenger across the steering column and out the same way.
"I got them both safely onto the canal bank and then went back for the lad who was in the back. I eventually managed to pull him out past the signalling equipment. I squeezed him through a hole not much bigger than an A4 piece of paper. I'm amazed he fitted through it. If he'd been any fatter, I'm not sure he'd have made it."
"I can honestly say if Sgt McNulty hadn't acted like he did, I would be dead. It's unbelievable what he did."
Private Lee Davison
The soldier in the back of the Panther was Private Lee Davison, 19, from Portadown. He said:
"All I could hear was screaming and shouting. I could hear people trying to open the hatches, then I heard a large thud which must have been Sgt McNulty jumping onto the vehicle.
"Three or four minutes after everybody else managed to climb out of the vehicle I started to struggle to breathe and began having flashbacks of home. I could feel myself slipping away."
During this time Sgt McNulty was desperately trying to pry Private Davison from the vehicle.
Platoon Commander, Captain Jack Bellfield, said of Sgt McNulty:
"He didn't think twice about jumping out of his vehicle to help those stuck in the Panther. Not only did he face the challenge of freeing his trapped colleagues, but he also risked coming under enemy fire as he did so.
"His selfless actions undoubtedly saved the lives of three of his colleagues. It's clearly an innate part of his character, given how he responded just one month ago when his vehicle broke down as the enemy attacked another convoy.
"On both occasions he showed great initiative and bravery. His rapid reactions and steadfast resolve to help others, regardless of the danger to himself, ensured that everyone returned safely from both CLPs."
Also reflecting on Sgt McNulty's actions, Private Davison added:
"I can honestly say if Sgt McNulty hadn't acted like he did, I would be dead. It's unbelievable what he did."
A soldier from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) has faced Taliban gunfire to help out colleagues in trouble not once but twice in recent months.
Sergeant
Sergeant Andrew McNulty of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters)
Sergeant Andrew McNulty first showed his fighting spirit when he rolled his broken-down vehicle down a hill to join his colleagues in a battle with the Taliban.
Then only a few weeks later he saved the lives of three colleagues after their vehicle plunged into a fast-flowing canal in the dead of night in Helmand province.
Sgt McNulty, known to all as 'Mac', is in the middle of a six-month deployment to Helmand province, Afghanistan. He is the Platoon Sergeant, the Second-in-Command, of Ava Platoon, a 30-strong team based at Camp Bastion providing protection for the huge resupply convoys, known as Combat Logistic Patrols (CLPs), conducted by 19 Light Brigade Combat Service Support Battalion.
On a recent resupply convoy, which included about 100 vehicles and snaked for more than 3km through the Helmand desert, Sgt McNulty was in a vehicle which had broken-down when the Taliban attacked the convoy as it went over a hill.
Sgt McNulty was in charge of a heavily-armed Weapons Mounted Installation Kit vehicle, or WMIK, which carries heavy and grenade-firing machine guns. His vehicle was in the middle of the convoy when it began experiencing difficulties as they went up a steep hillside of soft sand. He said:
"[We] pushed it to the brow of the hill before we leapt back into the cab and using the momentum of the hill we rolled about 800 metres until we levelled out in a valley where the firefight was taking place."
Sergeant Andrew McNulty
"My vehicle was having trouble with the gears because of the sand and the clutch went so we couldn't move anywhere. At that point we heard gunfire over the other side of the hill as another vehicle, about 1km ahead, came into contact."
At that stage his Platoon Commander, Captain Jack Bellfield, came past in a different vehicle, himself eager to offer protection to the convoy:
"I asked my Platoon Commander to tow our vehicle to the top of the hill," said Sgt McNulty.
"Initially the plan was to tow us to the top of the hill so I could fire, but when I got to the top there was something in the way so we could see our colleagues but we couldn't see the enemy's firing point."
Capt Bellfield had already unhooked his vehicle and driven on to get into the battle. But Sgt McNulty was determined not to be thwarted from his task:
"We jumped out of the WMIK, just opened the doors and pushed it to the brow of the hill before we leapt back into the cab and using the momentum of the hill we rolled about 800 metres until we levelled out in a valley where the firefight was taking place," he added.
Sergeant Andrew McNulty
With the vehicle coming to a stop however and coming under fire Sgt McNulty and his team still couldn’t get an accurate shot on the enemy, so they jumped out and pushed the vehicle again to allow them to get a clean shot:
"There is only one reason that my platoon was brought to Helmand and that's to protect the CLPs," he said. "My vehicle has got a lot of fire power on board plus medical facilities, so I've got a lot of assets. No matter how we do it we have to get my vehicle to the fight; that's all that went through my mind."
The firefight lasted about 45 minutes, with the CLP passing through the danger zone relatively unscathed. Sgt McNulty said:
"It is crucially important to ensure the safety of the CLP and the delivery of the essential supplies to the troops out in the forward operating bases and smaller patrol bases; they rely on us for ammunition, rations and water. Some items are delivered by helicopter but the main bulk of their supply is via the CLPs."
After this incident Sgt McNulty once again showed his bravery when he noticed a wheel sticking out of the water in a canal as another CLP made its way to a forward operating base from Camp Bastion.
"His selfless actions undoubtedly saved the lives of three of his colleagues. It's clearly an innate part of his character, given how he responded just one month ago when his vehicle broke down as the enemy attacked another convoy."
Captain Jack Bellfield
Close to Nad e-Ali, fast-flowing water had eroded the path that the convoy was moving along, causing it to collapse under a Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle. The vehicle tumbled into the water trapping three soldiers inside it.
In the pitch darkness the accident had gone unnoticed by the rest of the 40-vehicle convoy.
Bringing up the rear of the convoy in a Mastiff, Sgt McNulty glanced out at the canal and could just make out the shape of a wheel protruding from the water.
One of the three soldiers inside the Panther was completely submerged in the back of the vehicle:
"I knew I didn't have much time. I managed to pull the driver out the driver's side window and then pulled the passenger across the steering column and out the same way.
"I got them both safely onto the canal bank and then went back for the lad who was in the back. I eventually managed to pull him out past the signalling equipment. I squeezed him through a hole not much bigger than an A4 piece of paper. I'm amazed he fitted through it. If he'd been any fatter, I'm not sure he'd have made it."
"I can honestly say if Sgt McNulty hadn't acted like he did, I would be dead. It's unbelievable what he did."
Private Lee Davison
The soldier in the back of the Panther was Private Lee Davison, 19, from Portadown. He said:
"All I could hear was screaming and shouting. I could hear people trying to open the hatches, then I heard a large thud which must have been Sgt McNulty jumping onto the vehicle.
"Three or four minutes after everybody else managed to climb out of the vehicle I started to struggle to breathe and began having flashbacks of home. I could feel myself slipping away."
During this time Sgt McNulty was desperately trying to pry Private Davison from the vehicle.
Platoon Commander, Captain Jack Bellfield, said of Sgt McNulty:
"He didn't think twice about jumping out of his vehicle to help those stuck in the Panther. Not only did he face the challenge of freeing his trapped colleagues, but he also risked coming under enemy fire as he did so.
"His selfless actions undoubtedly saved the lives of three of his colleagues. It's clearly an innate part of his character, given how he responded just one month ago when his vehicle broke down as the enemy attacked another convoy.
"On both occasions he showed great initiative and bravery. His rapid reactions and steadfast resolve to help others, regardless of the danger to himself, ensured that everyone returned safely from both CLPs."
Also reflecting on Sgt McNulty's actions, Private Davison added:
"I can honestly say if Sgt McNulty hadn't acted like he did, I would be dead. It's unbelievable what he did."