Photo by John Cross
A soldier's service to his country is often measured in bravery. For Staff Sergeant Chad Malmberg, his bravery is now measured in shining silver.
"It's a symbol of all the hard work and the discipline and the dedication to duty," says Malmberg.
It's one of the military's highest honors - an award no Minnesota Red Bull soldier and no member of the Minnesota National Guard has received since the Second World War. "The Silver Star is awarded to a person who was cited for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States," says Lt. Col. Larry Herke.
Last January, chad Malmberg was leading a convoy from the Baghdad airport.
"Our convoy was ambushed and we were stuck in that kill zone at the site of that ambush for almost an hour," says Malmberg.
Stuck and outnumbered by enemy fighters, Malmberg stood in the line of fire coordinating support on the ground and in the air to make sure the soldiers he was responsible for made it home alive.
"We had been in more than a dozen firefights when we were over there, but nothing of this magnitude," says Malmberg. "Me and the men I was with had to use everything we could, every resource and every skill that we had in order to fight the enemy off."
27-year-old Malmberg has served with the Minnesota National Guard for nine years. This soldier, also a student at Mankato State University, is now a decorated military man wearing his Silver Star. He credits his success to loved ones on the home front and to the men he fought with.
Malmberg acknowledges their bravery. And that's the thing about heroes - they never think they are.
"It was my job either to succeed or fail that day and luckily I succeeded..we succeeded."
In 2005, when the 34th Infantry was activated, Staff Sergeant Malmberg was actually a member of another Minnesota National Guard unit.
When he found out the Red Bulls were going to Iraq, he volunteered to go with them.
For a KARE-11 video interview with Chad Malmberg, go to http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=265760
Chad Malmberg is "in a class by himself," says a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. For the story, go to http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1436724.html
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