Corporal Joshua Ware
Assigned to Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; attached to 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); killed Nov. 16 by enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations against enemy forces during Operation Steel Curtain in Ubaydi, Iraq.
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal in recognition for superior achievement while serving as Squad Leader, 2nd Platoon, Company F, Battalion Landing Team 2/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit from 12 January to 6 April 2005 during the Pre-Deployment Training Period.
Superior professional achievement during this period is as follows:
Citation:
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES WHILE SERVING AS SQUAD LEADER, 2ND PLATOON, COMPANY F, BATTALION LANDING TEAM 2/1, 13TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT FROM 12 JANUARY TO 6 APRIL 2005. WHILE SERVING IN A SERGEANT'S BILLET, LANCE CORPORAL WARE PROVIDED OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP OF HIS SQUAD AND CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE TACTICAL EFFECTIVENESS AND OVERALL COMBAT READINESS OF THE COMPANY. WITH KEEN INITIATIVE, LANCE CORPORAL WARE DROVE HIS SQUAD AGGRESSIVELY AND WITH RESOLVE, ENABLING THEM TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENT SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE DURING 6 LIVE-FIRE RANGES, COMPANY URBAN COMBAT TRAINING, AND 5 MOTORIZED RAIDS. LANCE CORPORAL WARE EXHIBITED EXCELLENT CONTROL OF HIS SQUAD
AND ENSURED CLEAR AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH HIS CHAIN OF COMMAND, ADJACENT UNITS, AND SUBORDINATES THROUGHOUT 14 OPERATIONS IN BATTALION URBAN OPERATIONS TRAINING. AT ALL TIMES, LANCE CORPORAL WARE'S PERFORMANCE AND IMPACT WERE BEYOND THAT EXPECTED OF A MARINE OF HIS RANK OR EXPERIENCE. LANCE CORPORAL WARE'S INITIATIVE, PERSEVERANCE, AND TOTAL DEDICATION TO DUTY REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIM AND WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device for exceptional courage under fire while serving as Team Leader, 1st Fire Team, 3rd Squad, 2d Platoon, Company F, Battalion Landing Team 2/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operation Capable), 2d Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 04-06 from 5 to 16 November 2005.
Citation:
HEROIC ACHIEVEMENT AS FIRE TEAM LEADER, 2D PLATOON, COMPANY F, BATTALION LANDING TEAM 2/1, 13TH MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT, REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM 2, 2D MARINE DIVISION, II MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE (FORWARD) IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM 04-06 FROM 5 TO 16 NOVEMBER 2005 IN THE AL QA'IM REGION, IRAQ. DURING
OPERATION STEEL CURTAIN, CORPORAL WARE LED HIS FIRE TEAM IN CLEARING OVER 200 BUILDINGS. ON 16 NOVEMBER HE LED HIS TEAM INTO A FORTIFIED POSITION HELD BY FIVE INSURGENTS WHO TARGETED THE HALLWAY AND INTERIOR ROOMS WITH GRENADES AND AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. AS HIS TEAM MADE ENTRY, THEY WERE ENGAGED BY GRENADES AND SMALL ARMS FIRE, FATALLY WOUNDING CORPORAL WARE. CORPORAL WARE'S COURAGEOUS EFFORTS WERE CRITICAL TO THE COMPANY'S SUCCESS IN BREAKING THE ENEMY DEFENSE AND KILLING EIGHTEEN INSURGENTS THROUGHOUT THE OPERATION. CORPORAL WARE'S INITIATIVE, COURAGE, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
