Politics & Government

Local Marine Awarded Silver Star

Sgt. Ryan T. Sotelo was honored for the actions he took after his squad was ambushed in an open field with machine gun and small arms fire in Afghanistan.

 

A San Mateo Marine has received one of the highest honors in the U.S. Military, a Silver Star.

Sgt. Ryan T. Sotelo was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the nation's third highest award for combat valor and the fifth in precedence of military awards, on March 29, for actions he took as a squad leader with Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment while deployed to Sangin District, Afghanistan.

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Maj. Gen. Ronald L. Bailey, commanding general, 1st Marine Division, presented the medal to Sotelo, now a scout sniper with Bn. Landing Team 3/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

“It was humbling when the general pinned on the star,” Sotelo said. “When we perform out in country we don’t do it for medals, we do it for the Marine on the right and left of us.”

On Nov. 25, 2010, Sotelo’s squad was ambushed in an open field with machine gun and small arms fire, killing the platoon commander.

Without hesitation, Sotelo took charge of the unit and moved them to a nearby canal. He then sprinted through heavy fire across open ground to retrieve the body of his fallen lieutenant. 

With the defensive position now unreachable because of intense small arms fire, he called in supporting arms to cover the squad’s movement to a nearby compound.

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As insurgents began to assault the position, he fearlessly led his squad as they repelled the enemy. 

When one enemy combatant began to fire on an exposed Marine, Sotelo closed in on the insurgent and killed him with a grenade.

“As soon as we got across, we got lit up and engaged in every direction,” said Cpl. Jose Launder, Company K, 3rd Bn., 5th Marines. “Sotelo just ran over and threw a grenade.”

After a reinforcing Marine unit was pinned down by heavy fire from the insurgents, Sotelo again disregarded his own safety to engage the enemy machine gun with rifle, finally calling in an air strike that silenced the enemy fire. 

“I think a lot of us are here because of his actions that day,” Launder said.

Realizing his situation was dire, Sotelo lead a fighting withdrawal more than 600 meters through enemy fire to bring his squad back to friendly lines and safety. 

Sotelo will continue serving his country as he prepares for the 15th MEU’s upcoming deployment scheduled for this summer.


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