SFC. Christopher A. Celiz(US Army)

 

7 years ago,

on July 12, 2018,

Sergeant First Class

Christopher

force-assigned combat

team in the Paktia

Province of eastern

Afghanistan. 

 

The team was partnered

with Afghan forces for a

counterinsurgency

operation.

At around 0900 hours,

the partnered force came under heavy fire from

a large, entrenched

Taliban force using

small arms,

heavy machine guns,

and rocket-propelled

grenades. 

 

The volume of fire

pinned the allied force

in an exposed position

with limited cover.

Celiz immediately took

charge of the response.

Under intense enemy fire,

he ran to a heavy weapon mounted on an armored

vehicle and returned fire

to suppress the enemy

and allow his team to

maneuver. 

As the Taliban fire

continued to intensify,

Celiz called for a medical

evacuation helicopter

to extract a critically

wounded allied member.

When the helicopter

arrived, it also drew

enemy fire.

 

Recognizing the aircraft’s vulnerability,

Celiz deliberately

exposed himself to

enemy fire and took up

a position between the

Taliban and the landing

zone. 

He directed the

evacuation effort and

coordinated suppressive

fire, enabling the

wounded to be loaded

aboard.

Just before the helicopter

lifted off,

Celiz noticed the aircraft

was still under direct fire

and that his team and

the crew were at risk. 

 

Though he was not yet

on board, he chose to

place himself

between the helicopter

and enemy fire.

While signaling for the

aircraft to depart, Celiz

was hit by gunfire. 

 

Mortally wounded, he

waved the helicopter

away with his last

strength, ensuring its

safe departure with the

wounded aboard.

The aircraft left the area

without further

casualties.

 

Celiz’s actions saved

the lives of the wounded

team member,

the pilots, and all others

on the aircraft.

His body was later

recovered by his team.

 

Christopher Celiz was

posthumously awarded

the*Medal of Honor*

by President Joe Biden

on December 16, 2021,

in a White House

ceremony attended

by his family and fellow

soldiers.

Before his final

deployment,

Celiz had served in

the Army since 2006. 

He began his career as

an engineer, later

completed selection

into the 75th Ranger

Regiment,

and served as a Ranger

Combat Engineer leader

in Company D,

1st Battalion,

75th Ranger Regiment

based at Hunter Army

Airfield, Georgia. 

 

He had deployed

multiple times in

support of

Operation Iraqi Freedom

and Operation Enduring

Freedom prior to his

2018 deployment to

Afghanistan.

 

SFC. 크리스퍼 A. 

셀리즈(미 육군)

7년 전인 2018년 

7월 12일, 32세의 

크리스토퍼 A. 셀리즈 상사는 

아프가니스탄 동부 팍티아

 주에서 특수작전부대 소속 

전투팀 사령관으로서 

특수작전 임무를 

지휘했습니다.

이 팀은 아프가니스탄군과

 협력하여 반군 진압 작전을

 수행했습니다. 

오전 9시경, 협력팀은 

대규모의 참호를 파고든

 탈레반 세력으로부터 

소총, 중기관총, 로켓 추진

 수류탄을 사용한 맹렬한 

공격을 받았습니다.

엄폐물이 부족한 노출된 

위치에서 아군 병력을 

고립시켰습니다. 

셀리즈는 즉시 대응을 

지휘했습니다. 

적의 집중적인 사격 속에서

그는 장갑차에 탑재된

중화기로 달려가

응사 사격하여 적을

제압하고 팀원들이 기동할

수 있도록 했습니다.

탈레반의 포격이 계속 

거세지자, 셀리즈는 중상을

 입은 아군을 후송하기 위해

 의료 후송 헬리콥터를 

요청했습니다. 

헬리콥터가 도착했을 때, 

적의 포화도 쏟아졌습니다.

헬리콥터의 취약성을 

인지한 셀리즈는 

의도적으로 적의 포화에

 노출되어 탈레반과 착륙 

지점 사이에 진지를 

구축했습니다.

그는 후송 작전을 지휘하고

 제압 사격을 조율하여

 부상자들을 헬리콥터에 

태웠습니다.

 헬리콥터가 이륙하기 직전, 

셀리즈는 헬리콥터가

 여전히 직접 포화를 받고

 있으며 그의 팀과 

승무원들이 위험에 처해 

있음을 알아챘습니다.

아직 헬리콥터에 

탑승하지는 않았지만, 

그는 헬리콥터와 적의 포화

 사이에 서기로 했습니다.

 헬리콥터 이륙 신호를

 보내는 동안 셀리즈는 

총격을 받았습니다.

치명상을 입은 그는 마지막 

힘을 다해 헬리콥터를 돌려 

부상자들을 안전하게 

태운 채 안전하게 

이륙했습니다.

 헬리콥터는 추가 사상자

 없이 그 지역을 떠났습니다.

셀리스의 행동은 부상당한 

팀원, 조종사, 

그리고 항공기에 탑승했던 

모든 사람들의 생명을

 구했습니다. 

그의 시신은 이후 팀에 의해 

수습되었습니다.

크리스토퍼 셀리스는 

2021년 12월 16일, 

가족과 동료 병사들이 

참석한 백악관 행사에서

 조 바이든 대통령으로부터 

사후 명예 훈장

(*Medal of Honor*)을 

수여받았습니다. 

셀리스는 마지막 파병 전

 2006년부터 군 복무를

 했습니다.

그는 엔지니어로 경력을 

시작하여 75 레인저 연대에

 선발되었고, 조지아주 

헌터 육군 비행장에 주둔한

 75 레인저 연대 1대대

 D중대에서 레인저 전투

 공병 지휘관으로 

복무했습니다.

그는 2018년 아프가니스탄

 파병 전 이라크 자유 작전

(Operation Iraqi Freedom)과 항구적 자유 작전

(Operation Enduring

 Freedom)을 

지원하기 위해 여러 차례

 파병되었습니다.