The bravery and sacrifice of those who served in America’s longest war were on Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee’s mind at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Monday as he spoke about being awarded the Medal of Honor by President Biden.
Master Sergeant Plumlee was honored last month for his bravery in helping repel a deadly attack at his base in Ghazi on August 28, 2013.
In a statement from the White House, then-Staff Sergeant Plumlee’s actions were described as:
While deployed to Afghanistan, then-Staff Sergeant Plumlee instantly responded to a complex enemy attack that began with a massive explosion that tore a sixty-foot breach in the base’s perimeter wall.
Ten insurgents wearing Afghan National Army uniforms and suicide vests poured through the breach.
Staff Sergeant Plumlee and five Special Operations members, intent upon defending the base, mounted two vehicles and raced toward the site of the detonation.
The vehicles, now no longer under cover, came under effective enemy fire from the front and right.
Using his body to shield the driver from enemy fire, he instinctively reacted, exiting the vehicle while simultaneously drawing his pistol and engaging an insurgent to the vehicle’s right.
Without cover and with complete disregard for his own safety, he advanced on the superior enemy force engaging multiple insurgents with only his pistol.
Upon reaching cover, he killed two insurgents, one with a well-placed grenade and the other by detonating the insurgent’s suicide vest using precision sniper fire.
Again, disregarding his own safety, he left cover and advanced alone against the superior enemy force engaging several combatants at close range, including an insurgent whose suicide vest exploded a mere seven meters from his position.
Undeterred and resolute, he joined a small group of American and Polish Soldiers, who moved from cover to counter-attack the infiltrators.
As the force advanced, he engaged an insurgent to his front left.
The wounded insurgent threw a grenade before detonating his suicide vest.
Staff Sergeant Plumlee then swung around and engaged another insurgent who charged the group from the rear.
The insurgent detonated his suicide vest, mortally wounding a U.S. Soldier.
Staff Sergeant Plumlee, with complete disregard for his own safety, ran to the wounded Soldier, carried him to safety, and rendered first aid.
He then organized three Polish Soldiers for defense, methodically cleared the area, remained in a security posture, and continued to scan for any remaining threats.
Master Sergeant Plumlee enlisted in the Oklahoma Army National Guard in 1998 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000, serving until 2008.
Master Sergeant Plumlee enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2009 and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He currently serves as a senior weapons sergeant with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis.
Master Sergeant Plumlee said he never felt the medal was strictly for him.
Instead, it is shared with everyone who had a part in shaping and training him to be ready to do what he had to do that day.
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