U.S. Army Sgt. Donald Starks received the Silver Star in a ceremony on Combat Outpost Margah in eastern Afghanistan’s Paktika province Thursday.

U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, International Security Assistance Force commander, awarded Starks for his actions during an insurgent attack on COP Margah Oct. 30.

Starks, the fire team leader for C Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, was in charge of a six-man team located at an observation post five kilometers southeast of COP Margah when they were attacked by more than 25 insurgents.

Donna Ouellette said she lived the most bittersweet moment of her life when she accepted her son’s Navy Cross on his behalf.
Donna is the mother of Cpl. Michael W. Ouellette, a Marine who was killed in action during combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 22, 2009. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presented Donna the medal during a ceremony Nov. 10, conducted by Marines with 2nd Marine Division at the Marine Reserve Support Center in Manchester, N.H., Ouellette’s hometown.

An unnamed source deep inside the defense establishment has broken his silence to national security analyst James S. Robbins – senior editorial writer for foreign affairs at The Washington Times. Robbins will break the story in tonight’s online version of The Washington Times, which will hit newsstands tomorrow.

To all those who are presently serving the United States in the military - and to all those who have served, Soldier of Fortune thanks you for your service.

Have a happy and safe Veterans Day.

An Afghan and coalition force killed Mirza Jan, a Taliban leader and facilitator for Ghazni-based senior leadership, during an overnight operation in Ghazni province Tuesday.

He distributed improvised explosive devices and IED components to insurgent groups in the area, and reportedly distributed more than 90 IED's during the September parliamentary elections.

Afghan and coalition forces detained numerous suspected insurgents during four operations aimed at capturing Taliban and Haqqani leadership throughout Afghanistan Tuesday.

An Afghan and coalition security force targeting the Taliban district leader for Garm Ser, who also acts as an improvised explosive device cell leader, detained two suspected insurgents during an overnight operation in Helmand province. The targeted individual conducts attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitates IED components, ammunition, weapons and various supplies from Pakistan.

Engineer soldiers roll out of Camp Warrior to an unfinished checkpoint near Kirkuk. The surrounding area is hilly and treacherous, but after a week or two of excavating, grading, dirt moving and compacting, this particular plot of land is almost ready for construction.

Soldiers of the 617th Engineer Support Company are assisting the Iraqi Security Forces by building up and improving the security at combined checkpoints to ensure they are fully prepared to protect the area's residents.

An Afghan National Security and International Security Assistance Force patrol arrested a wanted senior-Taliban leader in Musa Qal’ah, Helmand province, Monday.

With the combat medic course in Kabul now turned over to the Afghan National Security Force early October, several coalition medical advisors have moved to a new program, tackling the need for medical development in Helmand province.

The advisors received the mission to train combat medics for the 215th Corps and established a course at Camp Leatherneck.