In the rugged Mohmand Valley of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, one American soldier turned chaos into victory on August 16, 2017.
Spc. Collin Jackson, a fire support specialist with the 1st Armored Division, was attached as an infantry uplift soldier to an Army Special Forces Operational Detachment A supporting Afghan Commandos during a clearance patrol. When ISIS fighters unleashed a ferocious ambush with small arms and RPGs, the patrol was instantly plunged into a mass casualty nightmare.
Under relentless enemy fire, Jackson stayed ice-cool. He raced through the kill zone to move wounded personnel to a casualty collection point, treating injuries on the spot and even performing CPR on a critically injured American teammate while bullets cracked overhead.
Once the wounded were stabilized and staged for evacuation, Jackson made a daring decision that changed everything. He sprinted back to his vehicle, grabbed a 60mm mortar, and deliberately exposed himself in the open for more than an hour.
Methodically sighting in, he fired six precise rounds that slammed directly onto a key ISIS position pinning down the entire team. The devastating impacts shattered the enemy stronghold, breaking the ambush and allowing the force to regain the initiative. His actions saved lives that day.
For this extraordinary courage under fire, Spc. Jackson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device for valor in a ceremony at Fort Bliss, Texas, in July 2019.
His story is a powerful reminder of the quiet professionals who serve as combat enablers—stepping up far beyond their normal role when the moment demands it.
From treating the wounded to raining precise fire on the enemy, Jackson embodied the very best of the U.S. Army.
This is what true valor looks like in the heat of battle.
