Congressman awarded Soldier's Medal for heroism in last year's baseball team shooting

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Bravo Zulu to @RepBradWenstrup who was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for actions that helped save the life of wounded colleague @SteveScalise last year after he was shot at a congressional softball practice. Via @LeoShane

Link to tweet

Pentagon & Congress

Congressman awarded Soldier’s Medal for heroism in last year’s baseball team shooting

By: Leo Shane III 3 days ago

WASHINGTON — Army Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday honored Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup, an Army Reserve colonel and Iraq war veteran, with the Soldier’s Medal for his heroic actions during a shooting at a congressional baseball team practice last year.

The honor came at a Capitol Hill ceremony just one day after the Republican caucus’ team returned to their practice field for the first time since the attack.

Last June 14, an armed gunman ambushed the players and security staff, firing more than 100 rounds and injuring four people. ... That included House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., who was hit in the open field and suffered life-threatening wounds. After Capitol Police officers subdued the gunman, Wenstrup rushed to his side, administering first aid and applying a tourniquet to stop Scalise’s bleeding.
....

Wenstrup, part of a small contingent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans serving in Congress, has been in the Army Reserve since 1998 and served as chief of surgery with the 344th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. He received a Bronze Star for his service during that tour.

[DoctorJoJo]

1. While I Applaud His Heroic Efforts in this Terrible Incident, ...

... I was stunned by reading that he served as Chief of Surgery at an Army hospital. The man is a podiatrist! Guessing those soldiers in Iraq had perfectly trimmed toenails!

[MosheFeingold]

4. podiatric surgeons

Are no less of a surgeon than any other doctor.

Foot and lower-leg injuries are extremely common injuries in war, or have you not noticed all the solider missing their feet?

I have zero knowledge about this man or his policies, other than I probably find them repugnant.

But he performed good medical care while in an active shooter situation. Sounds like a legit award to me.

[jmowreader]

6. In modern combat, a podiatrist is very important

https://mwi.usma.edu/the-overweight-infantryman/

The Infantry has a weight problem. The amount of weight soldiers or Marines are asked to carry has grown exponentially while their ability to carry that load has not. This issue was brought to the forefront recently when retired Army Col. Ellen Haring wrote an opinion piece for the Marine Corps Times in which she was critical of the requirement for Marine Corps infantry officers to carry a load of up to 152 pounds for more than nine miles, at a twenty-minute-per-mile pace—a standard that Haring argues is unrealistic and prevents women from successfully completing the Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course. At first glance this may seem like a reasonable argument: 152 pounds seems like more than most humans can carry.

Many of the rebuttal articles, including one on Tom Ricks Best Defense blog by former Marine infantryman Aaron Ferencik, state that not only is this a realistic requirement, it happens regularly in Afghanistan. Ferencik writes that he was required to carry almost 200 pounds of gear, armor, and weapons.

Human beings are not designed to carry "almost 200 pounds" of anything for long periods of time - especially when you're running, jumping and throwing yourself on the ground like infantrymen do. It's going to take out your feet first, then your ankles, knees and hips, and then your back.

After trauma specialists, podiatrists and orthopedists are probably the most important doctors downrange.

[Atticus]

2. "After Capitol Police officers subdued the gunman, Wenstrup rushed to his side---". Yeah, that sure

took a lot of courage.

I'm sorry, but if this guy's a "hero", what do we call the young man who tackled and disarmed the murderous gunman at the Waffle House last week?

[flotsam]

3. Phony Award!

He is NOT eligible-from wiki: The distinguishing criterion for awarding the Soldier's Medal, per Army Regulation 600-8-22, para 3-14, is "The performance must have involved personal hazard or danger and the voluntary risk of life under conditions not involving conflict with an armed enemy. Awards will not be made solely on the basis of having saved a life."
This also gives him a 10% increase in his military pension-Stolen Valor+Stolen Money....total horseshit!

[Paladin]

5. "Hero" is one of the most over-used and abused terms of our time. (nt)