La. Guard presents Airman with Bronze Star Medal for Valor
By Sgt. Noshoba Davis, Louisiana National Guard Public Affairs Office
PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana National Guard presented Staff Sgt. James A. Lam, of College Station, Texas, with the Bronze Star Medal with V Device at an official ceremony at Camp Beauregard in Pineville, Dec. 6.
As a member of the Louisiana Air National Guard’s 122nd Air Support Operations Squadron, Lam deployed to Afghanistan as a joint terminal attack controller (JTAC). He was attached to the 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment. Lam received the award based on his heroic achievement under direct enemy fire on Feb. 23, 2012.
“It’s people like Staff Sgt. Lam that have just answered the call over and over again,” said Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis, the adjutant general of the LANG. “You serve and you answer the call and you act like him to take care of your brothers and sisters.”
The Bronze Star Medal was created in 1944 to recognize individuals from any branch of service who have distinguished themselves by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, in connection with military operations against an armed enemy. When the Bronze Star is awarded for acts of heroism, it is annotated by a bronze “V” device to indicate Valor.
Air Guard Capt. Corey Johnson was the officer-in-charge of the team of JTACs that deployed from the 122nd ASOS. He described the events and actions that led to Lam receiving the medal to the guests present at the ceremony.
“Lam was attached to a team whose mission was to focus on high value targets within the brigade battle space; near the end of the deployment his team was completing an air assault mission in pursuit of a Taliban leader,” he said. “They had to set up a landing zone for the helicopter that was going to extract the team from the valley they were in.”
Johnson said that the team was ambushed from the ridgeline above them by Taliban fighters armed with rocket propelled grenades and machine guns. The ensuing firefight lasted three hours, during which Lam accurately called in close air support to target enemy positions and direct strength attacks.
“Lam left cover to help Soldiers gather ammunition for a machine gun that had ran out of ammunition during the fight,” said Johnson. “He helped the Soldiers carry the rounds up the hill which was about 400 meters from them to the machine gun that needed rounds.
“Lam is constantly professional, always focused on training and setting the bar at the next level,” he continued. “With him performing the way he did it’s really exemplary on himself, his career field as a whole and the Louisiana National Guard.”
Lam said he was just doing his job as a JTAC that day.
“I did my job, nothing more nothing less,” said Lam. “If we do it right, what we do as JTAC, it brings those infantry guys home – and for me it’s about bringing home those infantry Soldiers and combat arms Soldiers.”
Lam thanked his leadership for his training and reminded others in his profession to continue to strive for excellence.
“Thank you for driving me with the training guidance that I needed and showing me what’s really important in a JTAC team, and what the job is really about,” said Lam. “I would like to tell all future JTAC to remember it’s not our job to wear this beret and tell everyone what we bring to the fight, but it’s our responsibility and job to do it right because it could save a Soldier’s life. We should be trying to earn this beret every day.”
Lam is now a JTAC for the Oklahoma Air National Guard.
