3. Sergeant Monica Beltran
When Beltran enlisted in the Virginia National Guard, it was because she knew the Guard would help pay tuition through college. Ending up in Iraq at 19, wasn’t really part of the plan. But Beltran shaped up and quickly developed into a skilled gunner and driver. Her expertise was put to test on October 26 2005, when her convoy was attacked near Ashraf.
A succession of roadside bombs had put the Humvee ahead of hers out of commission. Reaching for the .50-caliber machine gun, she spotted the insurgents and started firing back. Insurgents responded with machine gun fire and RPGs, hitting her Humvee, but Beltran just kept shooting. She knew that as a gunner, it was her job to to suppress fire, as her convoy made its way out of the mile-long kill zone.
For her actions on that day, she was awarded the Bronze Star With Valor and the Purple Heart.
Her citation credited her courage for saving the lives of 54 other soldiers.
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