Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Brooks went to war during Desert Storm and a 2005 tour in Iraq, but it wasn’t until patrols in treacherous valleys in Afghanistan that he faced a prolonged gun battle with hundreds of men who wanted him dead.
On Thursday, the sergeant and four fellow soldiers received awards for their service during a yearlong combat tour in the war-torn country.
At 41, Brooks, of Calhoun, Ga., has spent more than half his life in the Army. The latest award was his third Bronze Star, but the first for valor.
A Georgia Army National Guard release says the medal is “rarely awarded” and is to “recognize rare distinction on the battlefield.”
Brooks’ unit, the 1st Squadron, 108th Cavalry of the 48th Infantry Combat Team, arrived in Afghanistan in April 2009.