Guam sailors awarded Bronze, other medals

SANTA RITA, Guam—Sailors with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 5 were awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat Valor yesterday at the unit’s compound on Naval Base Guam.

Cmdr. Vince Martinez, commanding officer of EODMU 5, officiated the awards ceremony.

The Bronze Star Medal is awarded to people who distinguished themselves by heroic, meritorious achievement or service in connection with military operations against an armed enemy or opposing armed force. The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat Valor is bestowed upon service members who, while serving in any capacity with the Navy or Marine Corps, distinguish themselves by heroism, outstanding achievement or meritorious service.

Ensign Troy Lawson, officer in charge of EODMU 5 Detachment 9, was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lawson displayed outstanding technical and tactical expertise while conducting combat operations as an integrated explosive ordnance disposal assaulter with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula.

Petty Officer 1st Class Xavier Gamez and Petty Officer 2nd Class Phillip Taylor, both explosive ordnance disposal technicians for EODMU 5 Detachment 7, were presented Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals with Combat V.

Gamez served with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II while conducting reconnaissance of Iraqi border forts along the Jordanian-Iraqi border. He located and disabled a fully emplaced landmine surrounded by unexploded ordnance. Working alone and under great pressure, Gamez planned and executed the controlled demolition of 15 mortar rounds without incident. Taylor also served with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II while accompanying the border fort construction contract compliance team on a combat mission to forts along the Iraq-Syria border. He identified two devices comprising daisy-chained high explosive rounds. Taylor cut the detonation cords and moved the unstable device to an outside remote location and conducted controlled detonations.

The mission of EODMU 5, a forward-deployed mobile command, is to provide Explosive Ordnance Disposal detachments throughout the Commander, Seventh Fleet area of responsibility to enable access for fleet, mine countermeasures, joint expeditionary and special operations forces. (PR)