thedrifter
02-05-09, 07:01 AM
Tewksbury native honored
with Bronze Star medal
Marine honored for battlefield recovery efforts
By MICHELLE REGAN, Contributing Writer
Published: Feb 5th, 6:23 AM
TEWKBURY TWP. – Township native son Mark Slusher, a major in the Marines Corps, was awarded a Bronze Star Medal on Monday, Jan. 12, for heroic achievement in connection with combat operations against insurgency in the city of Basra, Iraq.
“I’m proud of what I did,” said Slusher. “When things got tough, I’m pleased I did my job as a leader and I stepped up and was able to go a little bit above and beyond to ensure the success of the mission and the safety of my Marines.”
According to the award citation, Slusher, who served as team leader for Military Transition Team (MTT) 111 of 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division in August 2008, simultaneously advised the Iraqi Army battalion commander and led his 15-man MTT through combat operations that cleared multiple insurgent strongholds and weapons cache sites throughout the city.
“This was very significant because it was the first time it was an Iraqi led campaign down there,” said Major Slusher. “It was just the Iraqis in the lead with their units and pretty much just the MTTs.”
An MTT battalion consists of 15 people: 14 marines and one sailor.
“In the advisor community our mantra is ‘alone and unafraid’ because we operate away from most of the coalition forces most of the time,” said Slusher.
Slusher’s team and the Iraqi battalion were bombarded by continuous mortar and small arms fire in the early days of the campaign. According to his award, Slusher repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to direct his team’s defensive actions and advise the Iraqi battalion commander in combat.
Combat Commander
“Mark was able to convince the Iraqi battalion commander to stay in the area where he was at,” said Lt. Col. Chuck Western said, who served with Slusher as the brigade MTT leader. “He stayed there shoulder-to-shoulder with the battalion commander. He gave him time to get over his concerns and become a combat commander.”
“It was a pretty significant campaign both for the Iraqi army and the Iraqi people,” said Slusher. “It really bolstered the confidence of the Iraqi people because they saw that they had a military that was now capable of going out and defending their country.”
According to the citation, Slusher displayed “quick action and presence of mind” on April 24, 2008 while elements of the MTT were leaving the Basra city limits after conducting a combat patrol. One of the transition team’s vehicles was attacked by an insurgent explosive device which destroyed the vehicles and wounded all five members inside.
Slusher immediately retrieved the injured personnel from the burning vehicle while under steady small arms fire, and moved them to a covered position to administer first aid. His citation said his actions resulted in a successful air and ground casualty evacuation of the injured Marines.
“The significance [of receiving this honor] for me is that it means that I stepped up and was there for my Marines, was there for my men when they needed me,” said Slusher. “I was there for the Iraqi battalion when they needed me.”
Major Slusher served a one year tour of duty in Iraq in 2007. He spent the first half of his tour in the Al Anbar Province, the largest and most volatile province in Iraq that encompasses most of the country’s western territory. The latter part of his tour was spent about 350 miles to the south in the city of Basra, Iraq’s third largest city.
“What I did was probably different than what you hear a lot of people do there,” said Slusher. “I advised an Iraqi infantry battalion so we lived with the battalion ‘outside the wire.’ My experience was a bit different than that of a lot of people because it gave me a unique opportunity to really get to know the culture and get to know the Middle East.”
Back home in Tewksbury, Slusher’s mother Shirley Slusher, said she is “very proud of Mark.”
“He has earned every minute if it and this was well-deserved,” said Mrs. Slusher.
Major Slusher grew up in the same house in the Mountainville section of Tewksbury Township where his parents still live.
“It was a great place to grow up,” said Major Slusher. “I spent a lot of time outdoors. There were plenty of mountains to climb, streams to play in and places to ride bikes. It was a wonderful place to grow up.”
Slusher attended Sawmill Elementary School and Old Turnpike Middle School. He was interested in sports and music, and played piano and guitar. After graduating from Voorhees High School, he left Hunterdon County to attend Rider University in Lawrenceville. After graduating, he joined the Marines Corps.
“I always wanted to be a Marine,” said Slusher. “I figured I needed to do it before I got too old to get into OCS. (Officer’s Candidate School.) So I took the test and got in and here I am 17 years later.”
“The main thing that’s kept me in the Marine Corps all these years is the people I have gotten to work with,” said Slusher. “I’ve been privileged to meet and work with some amazing people.”
All Over The World
These past 17 years his work has taken him all over the world, including Cuba and Lithuania.
Since 2006, Slusher has been stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He lives in Jacksonville, N.C., with his wife, Heather, and their four children – Logan, 14, Mark, 13, Eva, 12, and Luke, 3.
Although he no longer lives locally in Tewksbury, people from the area reached out to him when he was half way around the world in Iraq.
“My team received just an overwhelming amount of support with care packages and well wishes from people at home and from people across the country that we didn’t even know,” said Slusher. “It was wonderful and my men really appreciated that and so did I.
“I can’t tell you how that helps out when you’re over there in that austere environment,” he added. “It really makes a difference knowing your countrymen are back there behind you.”
The Long Valley Middle School and Benedict A. Cucinella Elementary School in Long Valley adopted Slusher’s team in Iraq and put together and sent 55 care packages to them.
“That’s what they lived on when they were in Basra because they were so remote and it was difficult at times to get supplies,” said Mrs. Slusher.
“He’s had so many people in Tewksbury who have sent him care packages. It seems as if the whole area here has been so supportive and those guys really appreciated it, as do we.”
Ellie
with Bronze Star medal
Marine honored for battlefield recovery efforts
By MICHELLE REGAN, Contributing Writer
Published: Feb 5th, 6:23 AM
TEWKBURY TWP. – Township native son Mark Slusher, a major in the Marines Corps, was awarded a Bronze Star Medal on Monday, Jan. 12, for heroic achievement in connection with combat operations against insurgency in the city of Basra, Iraq.
“I’m proud of what I did,” said Slusher. “When things got tough, I’m pleased I did my job as a leader and I stepped up and was able to go a little bit above and beyond to ensure the success of the mission and the safety of my Marines.”
According to the award citation, Slusher, who served as team leader for Military Transition Team (MTT) 111 of 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division in August 2008, simultaneously advised the Iraqi Army battalion commander and led his 15-man MTT through combat operations that cleared multiple insurgent strongholds and weapons cache sites throughout the city.
“This was very significant because it was the first time it was an Iraqi led campaign down there,” said Major Slusher. “It was just the Iraqis in the lead with their units and pretty much just the MTTs.”
An MTT battalion consists of 15 people: 14 marines and one sailor.
“In the advisor community our mantra is ‘alone and unafraid’ because we operate away from most of the coalition forces most of the time,” said Slusher.
Slusher’s team and the Iraqi battalion were bombarded by continuous mortar and small arms fire in the early days of the campaign. According to his award, Slusher repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire in order to direct his team’s defensive actions and advise the Iraqi battalion commander in combat.
Combat Commander
“Mark was able to convince the Iraqi battalion commander to stay in the area where he was at,” said Lt. Col. Chuck Western said, who served with Slusher as the brigade MTT leader. “He stayed there shoulder-to-shoulder with the battalion commander. He gave him time to get over his concerns and become a combat commander.”
“It was a pretty significant campaign both for the Iraqi army and the Iraqi people,” said Slusher. “It really bolstered the confidence of the Iraqi people because they saw that they had a military that was now capable of going out and defending their country.”
According to the citation, Slusher displayed “quick action and presence of mind” on April 24, 2008 while elements of the MTT were leaving the Basra city limits after conducting a combat patrol. One of the transition team’s vehicles was attacked by an insurgent explosive device which destroyed the vehicles and wounded all five members inside.
Slusher immediately retrieved the injured personnel from the burning vehicle while under steady small arms fire, and moved them to a covered position to administer first aid. His citation said his actions resulted in a successful air and ground casualty evacuation of the injured Marines.
“The significance [of receiving this honor] for me is that it means that I stepped up and was there for my Marines, was there for my men when they needed me,” said Slusher. “I was there for the Iraqi battalion when they needed me.”
Major Slusher served a one year tour of duty in Iraq in 2007. He spent the first half of his tour in the Al Anbar Province, the largest and most volatile province in Iraq that encompasses most of the country’s western territory. The latter part of his tour was spent about 350 miles to the south in the city of Basra, Iraq’s third largest city.
“What I did was probably different than what you hear a lot of people do there,” said Slusher. “I advised an Iraqi infantry battalion so we lived with the battalion ‘outside the wire.’ My experience was a bit different than that of a lot of people because it gave me a unique opportunity to really get to know the culture and get to know the Middle East.”
Back home in Tewksbury, Slusher’s mother Shirley Slusher, said she is “very proud of Mark.”
“He has earned every minute if it and this was well-deserved,” said Mrs. Slusher.
Major Slusher grew up in the same house in the Mountainville section of Tewksbury Township where his parents still live.
“It was a great place to grow up,” said Major Slusher. “I spent a lot of time outdoors. There were plenty of mountains to climb, streams to play in and places to ride bikes. It was a wonderful place to grow up.”
Slusher attended Sawmill Elementary School and Old Turnpike Middle School. He was interested in sports and music, and played piano and guitar. After graduating from Voorhees High School, he left Hunterdon County to attend Rider University in Lawrenceville. After graduating, he joined the Marines Corps.
“I always wanted to be a Marine,” said Slusher. “I figured I needed to do it before I got too old to get into OCS. (Officer’s Candidate School.) So I took the test and got in and here I am 17 years later.”
“The main thing that’s kept me in the Marine Corps all these years is the people I have gotten to work with,” said Slusher. “I’ve been privileged to meet and work with some amazing people.”
All Over The World
These past 17 years his work has taken him all over the world, including Cuba and Lithuania.
Since 2006, Slusher has been stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He lives in Jacksonville, N.C., with his wife, Heather, and their four children – Logan, 14, Mark, 13, Eva, 12, and Luke, 3.
Although he no longer lives locally in Tewksbury, people from the area reached out to him when he was half way around the world in Iraq.
“My team received just an overwhelming amount of support with care packages and well wishes from people at home and from people across the country that we didn’t even know,” said Slusher. “It was wonderful and my men really appreciated that and so did I.
“I can’t tell you how that helps out when you’re over there in that austere environment,” he added. “It really makes a difference knowing your countrymen are back there behind you.”
The Long Valley Middle School and Benedict A. Cucinella Elementary School in Long Valley adopted Slusher’s team in Iraq and put together and sent 55 care packages to them.
“That’s what they lived on when they were in Basra because they were so remote and it was difficult at times to get supplies,” said Mrs. Slusher.
“He’s had so many people in Tewksbury who have sent him care packages. It seems as if the whole area here has been so supportive and those guys really appreciated it, as do we.”
Ellie