The Story:
Petty Officer Sapp, a combat cameraman, was assigned for two months to a group of Army Rangers in the dangerous and unpredictable area around and in Ramadi, Iraq, where he participated in 30 missions. In the early hours of May 28, 2006, the team conducted a raid on an enemy stronghold and captured seven suspected insurgents. But as the team started to leave the area, a large IED detonated and immobilized one of their Stryker vehicles. Several of the Rangers were injured. Enemy combatants opened fire from sniper positions – and detonated other IEDs that had been emplaced in the area and along the team’s route.
In a situation like this, Sapp puts down his camera and picks up his gun. “This job as a combat cameraman isn’t just about capturing video or photos,” he said later, “but also being an asset and a team member to whatever unit I am attached to.” Sapp and his team jumped out to establish a security perimeter so that another team could safely help tow the vehicle out of the area. Sapp and the Rangers began firing back at the enemy. One soldier was hit in the chest, but survived thanks to his body armor. After five hours of fierce combat, the teams managed to recover the disabled vehicle and return to their base – even as enemies continued to fire on them and set off IEDs. For his work in Iraq, Sapp was awarded the Bronze Star on Jan. 26, 2007.