Master Sergeant David Beals: Combat Controller 

Master Sergeant David Beals proved himself a hero through direction of precise close air support (CAS) against a determined enemy in the remote Afghanistan countryside during the winter of 2007.

On 4 December of that year, Sergeant Beals was part of a 200-vehicle convoy conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol through a route saturated with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). After being attacked by an IED and small arms fire, Sergeant Beals returned a heavy stream of fire from his M-240G machine gun, enabling the convoy to continue on its path with zero casualties.

When his convoy again came under heavy fire from fortified positions the next morning, he called for immediate CAS. For the next 15 hours, he coordinated aircraft attack efforts. He deconflicted 150 friendly mortar calls, providing integration of devastating air-to-ground attacks on the enemy. Sergeant Beals controlled 20 CAS, missions releasing 19,000 pounds of ordnance that decimated the enemy and killed 87, including a Taliban commander. During the same patrol, his team was ambushed by direct enemy fire. With RPGs exploding in the air over their heads, he engaged the enemy with his mounted weapon, killing five insurgents and providing covering fire for vehicles caught in the kill zone. Finally, he simultaneously controlled five attacks and utilized CAS to demolish three compounds, killing 19 enemy attackers. His valiant efforts led to the liberation of a village, ending a nine-month Taliban occupation.

For his actions during this patrol, Sergeant Beals was nominated for his third Bronze Star Medal with Valor.