Jordan Locke, a US soldier who played a critical role during the Manda Bay attack in January 2020, was honoured for his bravery during the hours-long exchange of fire.
The soldier who serves in the US Air Force was presented with a Bronze Star with Valor, which ranks the fourth-highest US military decoration.
According to the US military, Locke put up a brave fight against the attackers from the al Shabaab Militia in Somalia.
“Locke held his ground under enemy fire, holding overwatch security, allowing joint operators to continue the fight against the terrorist attackers,” read a statement by the Air Force 51st Fighter Wing according to Task and Purpose.
While accepting the award, Locke, who is now posted in South Korea, noted that the battle had lasted for five hours.
He added that they were shot at multiple times and some were left both physically and mentally exhausted.
“That fight had lasted four to five hours, and within those four to five hours, we were fired upon multiple times. Bullets were impacting right next to me.
“One of the hardest parts was the aftermath, because everyone’s so mentally and physically exhausted. There’s a huge difference between saying ‘Are you okay?’ and actually sitting down and having that conversation with them to make sure that they’re okay and to see if there’s anything that I can do on my end to help them,” he stated.
At the time, the team was bombarded by 30 Al Shabaab militants who descended on the base with rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, and small arms.
During the attack, the terrorist stormed the airstrip at Manda Bay, targeting US aircrafts destroying six in the process. The attack began at 4 a.m. on Sunday, Jan 5, 2020, and lasted for around five hours.
A statement that was later released by Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) confirmed that the terrorists who participated in the attack were killed.
His award came a month after another soldier, Air Force Master Sgt. Mathue Snow, was presented a Bronze Star Medal – a US Armed Forces decoration that is given to members of the US Armed Forces for their heroic achievement or heroic service among others.
He received the award at the beginning of September 2022.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE
