Silver Star

"Bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat."

19 yo Monica Lin Brown is of the Great Satan's precious treasures. She serves in the All Americans. The AA is an airborne infantry regime changing division also known as the 82nd. Created way back in the last millenium, the All Americans were 1st deployed In WWI as 'Doughboys' and upgraded to parachutes in time to knock out Sicliy and chalk up her 2nd regime change (of 6 so far) in WWII.

Now as then, the All Americans are all volunteers. As a combat medic, Monica joined up right after High School with her brother.

Dodging insurgent gunfire, a 19-year-old Lake Jackson soldier used her body to shield five injured comrades after a roadside bomb struck her convoy in Afghanistan last spring. That act of bravery has earned her the Silver Star.

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown is only the second woman since World War II to receive the medal, one of the nation's highest military awards given for gallantry in combat.

''She just did what she was trained to do"

Monica Brown, a medic, was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia when a bomb struck one of the Humvees on April 25, military officials said.

After the explosion, she braved insurgent gunfire and mortars to reach five wounded soldiers. She shielded them as she administered aid and helped drag them to safety, the military said.

"I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer
location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there,"

Monica Brown told The Associated Press on Saturday from Camp Salerno in the province of Khowst.

Katy Brown said her granddaughter graduated from Brazos River Charter School in Morgan at 15. She joined the Army with her brother, Justin Brown, in November 2006.

She said she is not surprised by her granddaughter's heroics.

''She's just a strong, strong young woman, and she's very caring,"

Monica Brown told her grandmother she didn't have time to be scared.

She just jumped into action..

Monica Brown, of the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, said ammunition going off inside the burning Humvee was sending shrapnel in all directions. She said they were sitting in a dangerous spot.

."So, we dragged them for 100 or 200 meters, got them away from the Humvee a
little bit. I was in a kind of a robot-mode, did not think about much but getting the guys taken care of."

This is amazing. a 100 meters is a long way to go - especially if someone is shooting bullets, morters and munitions are cooking off at you the whole way. Think of a football field with an extra endzone to get the idea of distance involved. And Monica spanned the distance more than once.

Monica knew all five of her wounded comrades. She said they eventually moved the wounded about 500 yards away and treated them on site before putting them on a helicopter for evacuation.

''She is just an amazing young woman who is very down to earth and full of
life"

Congratulations on earning the Silver Star. America is VERY proud of you Monica, your service and character.

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, of Nashville, Tenn., received the Silver Star in 2005 for gallantry during an insurgent ambush on a convoy in Iraq.

Two guys from Leigh Ann's unit, the 617th Military Police Company of Richmond, Kentucky, also received the Silver Star for their roles in the same action.

Compiled and written in alliance with The Chronicle Star and the AP