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Marine aviator receives high-flying British honor for saving lives

Capt Brian Jordan USMC awarded the DFC

Quote:

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. --

A UH-1Y Venom pilot received the British Distinguished Flying Cross, Feb. 12 at the British Embassy in Washington.

Capt. Brian Jordan, the second Marine aviator to earn the medal since World War II, was honored for his actions on June 21, 2012, while deployed in Afghanistan.

“This has been a very amazing and humbling experience for me,” Jordan said. “I really am accepting this on behalf of my flight crew and all of the maintainers who work tirelessly on keeping these aircraft operating.

“Without them none of these actions would have been possible.”

Jordan said he could not have accomplished this award without the direct efforts of his aircrew consisting of Capt. Joshua Miller, Gunnery Sgt. Andrew Bond, Staff Sgt. Steven Seay and Cpl. Joshua Martinez. The captain also attributes the support of Lt. Col. Stephen Lightfoot and Capt. Frank Jublonski, the pilots of the AH-1Z Viper Super Cobra accompanying them on the mission.

“I am happy for him and anyone else who could accomplish something like this,” Gunnery Sgt. Andrew Bond, the crew chief during the mission, said. “I am very proud of him.”

Jordan arrived on Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan in late May 2012 with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469. Jordan and his flight crew were tasked with a mission to support the British Grenadier Guards.

“We worked together as a constant combat crew, and I had become very used to working with him,” Bond, with more than 14 years of experience, said. “Still being a relatively young pilot, he was doing well and was always open to listen to us.”

The squadron’s aircraft spent 40 minutes providing reconnaissance of buildings surrounding the area the guardsmen were patrolling and when requested supplied cover fire. Jordan and his aircrew had depleted most of their fuel and spent ordinance to suppress an enemy attack, which had pinned down the British soldiers.

Jordan and his crew were preparing to return to Bastion when they saw an explosion.

“I remember the [joint tactical air controller] saying over the radio, ‘Man Down, man down, request immediate MEDEVAC,” Jordan said. “One of the guardsmen had stepped on an [improvised explosive device]. He had lost a limb and was going into shock.”

Jordan and his crew began to discuss the situation and began preparing a medical evacuation request form for higher headquarters.

“It can be a little frustrating at times, but you have to follow the orders you are briefed,” Bond said. “The end state was somebody needs our help and you don’t want to let them down.”

They calculated it would take more than 30 minutes for another aircraft to come and pick up the two wounded British guardsmen.

“I talked to the crew, and we made the assessment that we were all comfortable with going down to picking up the wounded soldier,” Jordan said. “We then heard over the radio, that there was no time and he won’t make it.

“We all agreed this is what we need to do, we talked to our section leader and told him our intention and he said they would provide cover fire as we went down for the pick.”

Jordan landed between the enemy and soldiers.

“Both Staff Sgt. Seay and I are search and rescue qualified, so we began to rearrange and prepare the inside of the aircraft the best we could,” Bond said.

The aircrew landed in-between enemy fighters and the British troops to pick up the British soldiers.

“The situation made it feel like we were on the ground for an eternity,” Jordan said. “Even though we could not have been on the ground for more than 10 seconds.

“Both aircraft were in a very low fuel state. We pulled full torque and got the soldier back to Bastion for medical attention.”

Both wounded British soldiers survived.

“I feel like we were just doing our duty,” Jordan said. “We took the actions we needed to make sure we saved a soldier’s life. Do I think I went above and beyond? —No absolutely not.

“We are just doing our job to support all the ground forces in any way possible.”

Jordan is currently preparing to serve as a pilot instructor at Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. He will teach newly commissioned pilots to operate the UH-1Y Venom.

“You go through a lot of training to make sure you can make the hard decision when things do not go the way you anticipate,” Jordan said. “It is not just pilots. It is all Marines — Marines always do what is right."

Well Done to All! Bravo Zulu!

Seconded. Bloody good job.

I do hope the US regs permit wearing of a Brit medal.
Should cause a few double takes ;)

Any idea why it took nearly 5 years from action to presentation?

Presume he was still on active service out there??

Outstanding job ... well done, Sir! :ok:

Section 7 of this document pertains.

http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Pu...%201650.1H.pdf

This was in 2014!

Wake up at the back.

no date in the original post excpet for the date of the action.....................

and the day and month (but no year) of the award

maybe Nov4 has problems gettig his mail delivered...

Anyway it doesn't matter - Capt. Jordan earn't his medal without a doubt........

Good effort. Shame the PR got the JTAC abbreviation wrong though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SASless (Post 9677089)

Section 7 of this document pertains.

http://www.marines.mil/Portals/59/Pu...%201650.1H.pdf

Quote:

CHAPTER 7 - FOREIGN AWARDS AND SERVICE
AUG 2 2 2006
DECORATIONS TO U.S. PERSONNEL
SECTION 2 - FOREIGN DECORATIONS
720. FOREIGN PERSONAL AWARDS

3. Immediately upon such presentation, or once an award
has been tendered, the recipient shall submit a request for
approval to accept and retain the award to CNO (DNS-35) or CMC
(MMMA), as appropriate.

4. Personnel are prohibited from wearing any foreign
personal awards unless attending a public function of the
country, or in the house of, or in honor of a public official or
other distinguished citizen of that foreign country.

Thanks, SASless.
Looks like, in general, the answer is 'No.'

Quote:

Personnel are prohibited from wearing any foreign
personal awards unless attending a public function of the
country, or in the house of, or in honor of a public official or
other distinguished citizen of that foreign country.

Basil, hence why the other previous recipient is wearing his after all the American bling they get, you can just see it, probably one of the few times he has had the opportunity.

https://media.defense.gov/2014/Feb/1...-JU941-003.JPG

Quote:

Capt. Brian Jordan and Lt. Col. William Chesarek , helicopter pilots, are the only two Marines to receive the British Distinguished Flying Cross since World War II. The award’s precedence is equal to the Silver Star Medal. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Justin M. Boling/Released)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heathrow Harry (Post 9677097)

Oh bu$$er - Apologises - didn't check the date of the article when I was sent it by a ex-USMC mate today. Took it as the award as having just happened.

Either way as HH says, he earnt the medal....

Good effort, chaps! After the casualty was loaded did they fly with three on board?

He obviously was not flying a Cobra. Blackhawk?

Quote:

Jordan said he could not have accomplished this award without the direct efforts of his aircrew consisting of Capt. Joshua Miller, Gunnery Sgt. Andrew Bond, Staff Sgt. Steven Seay and Cpl. Joshua Martinez. The captain also attributes the support of Lt. Col. Stephen Lightfoot and Capt. Frank Jublonski, the pilots of the AH-1Z Viper Super Cobra accompanying them on the mission.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Abraham (Post 9677569)

He obviously was not flying a Cobra. Blackhawk?

From the first line in the body of the first post:

Quote:

A UH-1Y Venom pilot received the British Distinguished Flying Cross, Feb. 12 at the British Embassy in Washington.

More on both helos involved in the rescue here:

Watch These Marine UH-1Y Super Hueys Pulverize A Fake Town

Thanks for the medals, they sure look great with those coveted Wings of Gold! :ok:

Semper Fi to those Devil Dogs! :D

Airbubba, thanks. :ok: ShotOne post threw me.

Basil - I was unaware of that regulation prohibiting the wearing of foreign awards by US personnel. I had seen that photo of the two USMC officers with their DFCs before, and had assumed that the medal would be normally worn after all US medals, as seen in the photo, which is our practice, but it would seem that it was only being worn temporarily as he was in the British embassy.

Seems a harsh regulation. Generally speaking in the British armed forces awards from what might be called traditional allies (USA, France, etc) are permitted to be worn, while others are considered on a case by case basis. A well known example of permission being refused was that of the Gulf War medals from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Going back further, a number of British personnel received Soviet medals for services during WW2. Three officers and a flight sergeant from 151 Wing (Hurricanes) at Murmansk received the Order of Lenin, but permission was not granted to wear the medals themselves.

NATO medals (from presumably friendly Countries), such as the NATO Meritorious Service Medal are not to be warn by UK personnel.

https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/th...warded.124179/

When a Foreign Medal is awarded, the FCO Office issue 'permissions' from HM Liz (as per original website ) regarding wear.

They are

1. Unrestricted permission to wear - Means the recipient can wear it all the time. You will see soldiers with the US Bronze Star for example, OMANI medals and medals from Brunei.

2. Restricted permission - normally relates to functions or service within the Country of origin. i.e. They can wear it on certain occasions only.

3. No permission to wear - Keepsake only e.g. Kuwait and Saudi Liberation Medals (only a handful of very senior Officers got permission to wear the Saudi medal), NATO ISAF etc etc.

Awarded after the recipient finishes service in HM Forces. For example the Pingat Jasa Medal (PJM). No permission to wear has been granted, but the PJM campaign found a loophole in regs whereby it states that the regs do not apply to medals awarded after the subject has ceased to be serving. Have a look at their website for chapter and verse but this is what it says:-

[It is important to note that this part of the advice is unequivocal] Holders of the PJM are entitled to wear it by virtue of the 3 May 1968 notice. Most significantly it the Ministerial Statement ignores the London Gazette Notice of 3 May 1968 which states that the Queen has, in exercise of the Prerogative, approved that Orders, Decorations and Medals conferred with her permission on UK citizens who are not Crown servants by Commonwealth or foreign states may in all cases be worn by the recipients without restriction. Consent having been granted to applications for the PJM on 31 Jan 06, any holder who is not a military or civil servant, is thus entitled to wear it. No formal consent for civilians to wear was necessary since that consent was granted in 1968.