NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL

TO: FIRST LIEUTENANT RUDY M. GARZA

First Lieutenant Rudy M. Garza, United States Army Medical Service
Corps, distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious achievement
to the United States as a Field Medical Assistant for the 628th
Medical Team (Forward Surgical) for Task Force Medical-East, Task
Force Medical-Afghanistan, and the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
(Airborne), Task Force Bayonet, on 7 August 2012 during OPERATION
ENDURING FREEDOM.
First Lieutenant (1LT) Garza demonstrated outstanding technical and
tactical knowledge as well as experience in combat medicine and trauma
care when he initiated quick action to render combat trauma care
during a Mass Casualty (MASCAL) event at 0945 hours on 7 August 2012
while assigned to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Shank at Pul-e-Alam,
Logar Province. The MASCAL event immediately followed a Suicide
Vehicle Borne IED (SVBIED) blast attack with the detonation of over
3,000 pounds of explosive material, resulting in a significant breach
of the FOB perimeter defense wall. This breach was less than 80
meters away from the hospital site for the 628th Medical Team (Forward
Surgical) (FST). This explosive blast caused massive structural
damage to the facilities of the 628th FST and the co-located Charlie
Medical (C-MED) Company of the 173rd Airborne and rendered the 628th
FST facilities non-mission capable with a total loss of power and
communications. Multiple severely injured patients arrived to the
628th FST within the first minutes following the attack. Despite
concussive blast injury to himself, 1LT Garza demonstrated courage and
sacrifice by covering a fellow injured staff member with his own body
to shield them from further flying debris. He then assisted with the
help of another Soldier to carry this staff member to a bunker for
safety and to receive further medical care. 1LT Garza then established
a secure perimeter defense for the triage area adjacent to the landing
zone (LZ) during an active breach while the compound was also
receiving indirect fire (IDF). He then coordinated the rapid transfer
of multiple ambulatory minimally injured patients to alternate medical
facilities on the base. 1LT Garza also established a communication
link with higher command to coordinate MEDEVAC flight requests. This
was a MASCAL event with a total of 49 patients treated, 9 Urgent
category patients, 20 Delayed category patients, and 20 Routine
category patients. He also directly assisted in the staging and
medical preparation for the medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of 29
patients to various higher echelons of care which were completed in
less than three hours following the blast. No patient suffered the
loss of life during this MASCAL event due to the outstanding
performance, expertise, and dedication to duty that 1LT Garza
displayed on this date and he served as a true force multiplier during
this hazardous event. 1LT Garza also provided direct and expedient
assistance to reset the medical equipment of the hospital of the 628th
FST in a new facility that was adjacent to C-MED Company and make the
hospital fully mission capable to receive patients by 2100 hours that
evening. The 628th FST was fully reset in less than 12 hours and
ready to perform life-saving surgery as a direct result of the heroic
efforts of 1LT Garza. The 628th FST is the first forward surgical
unit during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM to sustain massive structural
damage, rapidly coordinate a MASCAL response, successfully treat and
evacuate critically injured patients without loss of life, and to then
reposition the hospital facility and be surgically functional within
12 hours. 1LT Garza's actions are in keeping with the finest
traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon
himself, the United States Army, and the Department of Defense.

Capt. Garza , Afghanistan

Major Rudy Miles Garza III