Did You Know – Fun facts about the National Guard

Did you know Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester, a Guard soldier with the 617^th Military Police Company, Kentucky National Guard, became the first woman in the US Military since World War II to earn a silver Star Medal?

The Story:

Sgt. Hester’s squad was following a supply convoy on March 20, 2005, in Iraq when insurgents ambushed the convoy. Her squad quickly moved into position, cutting off the enemy’s escape route. Hester led her team directly into the line of fire into a flanking position, and then began an assault on a trench line. She and her squad leader cleared two trenches. When the attack was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded, and one was captured. In June 2005, Hester was the first woman soldier since World War II to be awarded the Silver Star Medal.

Here is a link to the full story from the Washington Post, Friday, June 17, 2005