thedrifter
01-30-06, 07:25 AM
Marine Earns Bronze Star For Iraq Duty
By RICHARD LARDNER rlardner@tampatrib.com
Published: Jan 30, 2006
A local Marine officer received a Bronze Star for battlefield valor during a ceremony Thursday at U.S. Special Operations Command.
Lt. Col. Sherman LaCost, an Illinois native who has lived in Tampa for five years, earned the medal for action in Iraq from October 2004 to May 2005, according to a summary of the award citation provided by his family.
"Lt. Col. LaCost's efforts have directly contributed to the successful prosecution of the war on terrorism through proactive, flexible, and fully integrated leadership as proven during Operation Iraqi Freedom," the summary says.
In addition, LaCost's unit provided security at 718 polling sites used by nearly 4 million Iraqis during last year's elections.
LaCost, a reservist who works for a local defense contractor, was assigned to the Marine Corps' 4th Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company during his time in Iraq.
By organizing his troops with special operations forces and Navy explosive ordnance experts, LaCost's combat teams were able to neutralize "many of the key leaders throughout this war," the summary says.
LaCost's forces conducted more than 200 combat missions during the eight-month deployment, with no friendly casualties, according to the summary.
Ellie
By RICHARD LARDNER rlardner@tampatrib.com
Published: Jan 30, 2006
A local Marine officer received a Bronze Star for battlefield valor during a ceremony Thursday at U.S. Special Operations Command.
Lt. Col. Sherman LaCost, an Illinois native who has lived in Tampa for five years, earned the medal for action in Iraq from October 2004 to May 2005, according to a summary of the award citation provided by his family.
"Lt. Col. LaCost's efforts have directly contributed to the successful prosecution of the war on terrorism through proactive, flexible, and fully integrated leadership as proven during Operation Iraqi Freedom," the summary says.
In addition, LaCost's unit provided security at 718 polling sites used by nearly 4 million Iraqis during last year's elections.
LaCost, a reservist who works for a local defense contractor, was assigned to the Marine Corps' 4th Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company during his time in Iraq.
By organizing his troops with special operations forces and Navy explosive ordnance experts, LaCost's combat teams were able to neutralize "many of the key leaders throughout this war," the summary says.
LaCost's forces conducted more than 200 combat missions during the eight-month deployment, with no friendly casualties, according to the summary.
Ellie