'Just a simple infantryman'

LINCOLN—Specialist Eric Blackburn, 22, does not like being in the spotlight.

“I’m just a simple infantryman,” he says quietly to his unit’s public relations officer.

But for being simple, Blackburn stuck to his duty, earning a Bronze Star along the way.

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman pinned the medal to Blackburn’s chest Wednesday morning at a ceremony to welcome home Troop C of the Nebraska National Guard 1-134 Calvary Squadron, based in Beatrice.

The tall, auburn-haired Osceola native joined the National Guard as a high school junior in 2006, later becoming an airborne infrantryman in the unit. He was deployed along with 300 other Nebraska National Guardsmen in 2010 to Afghanistan.

In April, Blackburn was on his second guard duty at the main gate to Camp Phoenix. The detail was routine, he said, something “we did everyday,” but it was his first time “on the ground” at the gate.

But on April 2, the base came under attack by al Qaeda insurgent forces, including three suicide bombers wearing explosives strapped to their chest.

“We didn’t expect how fast it could go down, just a matter of seconds,” Blackburn said.

After the first explosion at about 7 a.m., Blackburn and Specialist Stephen Leon of the 181st Infantry — the only two soldiers on the ground at the gate at the time — took cover and began suppressing fire to repel the insurgents from the base’s main access point.

More explosions rocked the front gate area, flying shrapnel striking both Blackburn and Leon.

Blackburn was hit and bleeding in his left shoulder and leg.

But he was not going to leave his post.

“I suppose the survival instinct kind of kicks in when something like that happens,” Blackburn said quietly. “I had a great guy next to me, he had already been in Iraq and he helped me out a lot.”

“We kept each other calm,” he added.

Blackburn and Leon repelled insurgents from the gate for 10-15 minutes. When the heavy barrage slowed to small arms fire, Blackburn walked to the nearest medical clinic for care.

“There was a lot of adrenaline so I really didn’t feel too much initially,” Blackburn said. “When the adrenaline wore off, I saw the blood on my shoulder and that’s when I knew.”

He talks about the fight humbly, deflecting any sort of praise, saying he was just a soldier doing a soldier’s job.

“A lot of it’s instinct and a lot of it is just protecting,” Blackburn said. “A lot of it is training.

DOD identifies Army casualties - News - Hawaii Army Weekly

The Department of Defense announced, Thursday, the death of two Soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. 

Staff Sgt. James Christen, 29, of Loomis, Calif., and Sgt. Jacob Molina, 27, of Houston, Texas, died July 19 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device. 

Both were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, “Wolfhounds,” 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Inf. Division.

Christen’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart (both posthumous), the Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, an Army Good Conduct Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Star, an Iraq Campaign with Star, a Global War on Terrorism Medal, an Army Service Medal, a Noncommissioned Officer Profession Development Ribbon, an Army Service Ribbon, an Overseas Service Ribbon, a NATO Medal, a Combat Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge.

He enlisted in June 22, 2000, as an infantryman. This was Christen’s third deployment overseas. He previously served two tours in Iraq. 

Molina’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (posthumous), a Purple Heart (posthumous), a Combat Infantryman Badge (posthumous), the Army Commendation Medal, an Army Achievement Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Star, an Iraq Campaign Medal with Star, an Army Service Ribbon, an Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Army Service Ribbon.

Molina enlisted in the Army February 15, 2007, as an infantryman. This was his second deployment. He previously served one tour in Iraq.

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102nd Infantry Division

Historical dictionary of the U.S. Army

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