The leader of Charlie Team, 2nd Squad, 4th Platoon, 617th Military Police Company - a Kentucky National Guard unit - Sergeant Dustin Morris, in this interview, shares his experiences regarding a complex 20 March 2005 enemy ambush southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, that resulted in his squad - led by Silver Star recipient, Staff Sergeant Timothy F. Nein - killing or capturing 34 insurgents and losing not a single US soldier. Discussing, first, the training his unit received as well as a prior ambush that represented a "big learning experience on what to do and what not to do," Morris - the driver of the lead truck in a three-vehicle 617th element that was shadowing a southbound convoy when it came under enemy assault - then goes on to recount the events of 20 March in great detail. He describes his own actions under fire and those of his fellow squad members, including Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester, the first female soldier since World War II to receive the Silver Star. About his squad leader, Morris said: “Staff Sergeant Nein led us through three ambushes and several other small instances and he never let up. He’s a great leader, he’s confident in his decision making, he led us through one of the biggest MP battles ever, I believe, and he did great. He didn’t choke up, he knew what to do and he knew how he was going to do it. I was proud to be there with him.”

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited