Leigh Ann Hester: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox military person |
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|name=Leigh Ann Hester |
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|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1982|1|12}} |
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|death_date= |
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|birth_place= {{nowrap|[[Bowling Green, Kentucky|Bowling Green]], [[Kentucky]], U.S.}} |
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|death_place= |
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|placeofburial= |
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|placeofburial_label= Place of burial |
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|image=Leigh Ann Hester February 3 2007 Cropped.jpg |
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|caption= Hester visiting the [[United States Army Women's Museum|U.S. Army Women's Museum]], in February 2007. |
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|nickname= |
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|allegiance={{flag|United States of America}} |
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|serviceyears=April 2001 - present<ref name="NPR2011">{{cite news |title=Silver Star Recipient A Reluctant Hero |first=Rachel |last=Martin |url=http://www.npr.org/2011/02/22/133847765/silver-star-recipient-a-reluctant-hero|newspaper=[[NPR]] |date=February 22, 2011 |accessdate=February 23, 2011}}</ref><ref name="ArmyHesterProf">{{cite web |url=http://www.army.mil/women/hester.html |title=Hester |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=31 August 2012 |work=Women in the U.S. Army |publisher=United States Army |accessdate=27 January 2013}}</ref> |
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|rank=[[File:Army-USA-OR-05.svg|20px]] [[Sergeant#United States|Sergeant]] |
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|branch={{flagicon image|Flag_of_the_United_States_Army.gif}} [[United States Army]] |
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*{{flagicon image|Flag of Kentucky.svg}} [[Kentucky Army National Guard]]<ref name="ArmyHesterProf" /> |
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*{{flagicon image|Flag of Tennessee.svg}} [[Tennessee Army National Guard]]<ref name="VolState">{{cite web |url=http://www.tnmilitary.org/VolState/2012/03/1203.pdf |title=On the Cover |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=March 2012 |work=VolState Guard |publisher=Tennessee National Guard |accessdate=27 January 2013}}</ref> |
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|commands= |
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|unit=617th Military Police Company<ref name="ArmyHesterProf" /><br />269th Military Police Company<ref name="VolState" /> |
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|battles=[[Iraq War]]<ref name="ArmyHesterProf" /> |
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|awards=[[File:Silver Star ribbon.svg|border|22px]] [[Silver Star]]<ref name="ArmyHesterProf" /><br />[[File:ArmyComRib.gif|border|22px]] [[Army Commendation Medal]]<br />{{nowrap|[[File:NCO Professional Development Ribbon.svg|border|22px]] [[Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon#Army|NCO Professional Development Ribbon]]}}<br />[[File:Army Service Ribbon.svg|border|22px]] [[Army Service Ribbon]] |
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|relations= |
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|laterwork=Law enforcement officer<ref name="NPR2011" /> |
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}} |
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'''Leigh Ann Hester''' (born January 12, 1982)<ref>[http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/12252?c=search&first=Leigh+Ann&last=Hester&spelling=Exact&8_year=&8_month=0&8_day=0&4=&9=&11=&SubmitSearch.x=66&SubmitSearch.y=22 Kentucky Births, 1911-1999]</ref> is a [[United States Army]] soldier. While assigned to the 617th [[Military Police Corps (United States)|Military Police]] [[Company (military unit)|Company]], a [[Kentucky Army National Guard]] unit out of [[Richmond, Kentucky]], Hester received the [[Silver Star]] for her actions on March 20, 2005 during an enemy ambush on a supply convoy near the town of [[Salman Pak|Salman Pak, Iraq]].<ref name="50heroes">{{cite web|url = http://www.defenselink.mil/home/dodupdate/heroes/50heroes/KY.html|title = 50 Heroes for 50 States - U.S. Department of Defense Update|accessdate = 2006-12-30|publisher = [[United States Department of Defense]]}}</ref> Hester enlisted in the U.S. Army in April 2001 and is the first female U.S. Army soldier to receive the award for exceptional valor since [[World War II]] and the first ever to be cited for valor in [[Close Quarters Battle|close quarters combat]].<ref> |
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{{cite web |
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|url=http://www.army.mil/-news/2005/06/17/1645-female-soldier-receives-silver-star-in-iraq/ |
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|title=Female Soldier receives Silver Star in Iraq |
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|author=Sergeant Sara Wood |
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|publisher=[[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]] |
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|accessdate=March 16, 2011 |
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}}</ref> |
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==Career== |
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[[File:Leigh Ann Hester - high res.jpg|left|thumb|Hester waits to receive her Silver Star medal during a military awards ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq in June 2005.]] |
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[[File:Leigh Ann Hester medal.jpg|right|thumb|Hester after receiving her Silver Star medal during a military awards ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq in June 2005.]] |
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===Iraq War=== |
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====Ambush==== |
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Hester's squad of two women and eight men in three [[Humvee]]s was shadowing a 30-truck supply convoy when approximately 50 insurgent fighters ambushed the convoy with [[AK-47|AK-47 assault rifle]], [[RPK|RPK machine gun]] fire and [[rocket propelled grenade]]s (RPG). The squad moved to the side of the road, flanking the insurgents and cutting off their escape route. Hester maneuvered her team through the [[kill zone]] and into a flanking position, where she and her squad leader, Staff Sergeant [[Timothy F. Nein]], assaulted a trench line with [[hand grenade]]s and [[M203 grenade launcher]] rounds. Hester and Nein assaulted and cleared two trenches. During the 25-minute firefight, Hester killed at least three enemy combatants with her [[M4 carbine]].<ref name="WAPO_20050626" /> |
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When the battle was over, 27 insurgents were dead, six were wounded, and one captured. Sergeants Hester and Nein were both awarded the [[Silver Star]].<ref name="WAPO_20050626">{{cite news |title=Silver Stars Affirm One Unit's Mettle |author=Steve Fainaru |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/25/AR2005062501263.html |newspaper=Washington Post |date=26 June 2005 |accessdate=27 January 2013}}</ref> Nein's was later upgraded to the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United States)|Distinguished Service Cross]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Doubler |first=Michael D. |title=The National Guard and Reserve: A Reference Handbook |series=Contemporary Military, Strategic, and Security Issues |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=pNHbw5H07P4C&lpg=PA135&ots=vJ_8pWz_Tg&dq=Nein%20upgrade%20Distinguished%20Service%20Cross&pg=PA135#v=onepage&q=Nein%20upgrade%20Distinguished%20Service%20Cross&f=false |accessdate=27 January 2013 |year=2008 |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group |isbn=9780275993252 |page=135 }}</ref> |
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Also awarded the Silver Star in this ambush was platoon [[combat medic]] Specialist [[Jason Mike]], who took up and simultaneously fired an M4 carbine and [[M249|M249 SAW]] light machine gun in defense of his comrades.<ref name="WAPO_20050626"/> |
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==Later work== |
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Hester took a brief break from the U.S. Army in 2009, and worked as a civilian law enforcement officer in a [[Nashville, Tennessee]] suburb. However, she returned to the military a short while later, in late 2010.<ref name="NPR2011" /> |
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==Decorations and badges== |
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{| |
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|- |
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|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Silver Star ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
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| [[Silver Star]] |
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|- |
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|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=ArmyComRib.gif|width=60}} |
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| [[Army Commendation Medal]] |
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|- |
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|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=NCO Professional Development Ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
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| [[Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon#Army|NCO Professional Development Ribbon]] |
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|- |
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|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Service Ribbon.svg|width=60}} |
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| [[Army Service Ribbon]] |
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|- |
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|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Combat Action Badge.svg|width=60}} |
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| [[Combat Action Badge]] |
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|- |
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|} |
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==See also== |
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*[[Monica Lin Brown]] |
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{{portal|United States Army}} |
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==References== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/download/csipubs/robertson_contact.pdf Chapter "Palm Sunday Ambush", pages 59-81 of In Contact! - Case Studies from the Long War (PDF, 167 pages)] |
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*[http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/08_WOT/ss_GWOT/citations_USA-G.html Complete text of Sergeant Hester's citation for conspicuous gallantry in action] |
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*[http://www.army.mil/women Women in the U.S. Army] |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2013}} |
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{{Persondata |
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| NAME = Hester, Leigh Ann |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Hester, Leigh A. |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American soldier who was awarded the Silver Star |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = January 12, 1982 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Bowling Green, Kentucky]], [[United States]] |
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| DATE OF DEATH = |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hester, Leigh Ann}} |
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[[Category:1982 births]] |
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[[Category:American military personnel of the Iraq War]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:People from Bowling Green, Kentucky]] |
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[[Category:People from Kentucky]] |
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[[Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee]] |
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[[Category:Recipients of the Silver Star]] |
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[[Category:United States Army soldiers]] |
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[[Category:Women in 21st-century warfare]] |
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[[Category:Women in the Iraq War]] |
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[[Category:Women in the United States Army]] |
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