Lt. Gabriel HAUGLAND Honored

HAUGLAND, MCNAMARA

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/23/2011 at 07:47:44

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Clear Lake man honored for service in Afghanistan

CLEAR LAKE — A Clear Lake soldier has received an award for his military service in Afghanistan.

Lt. Gabriel HAUGLAND, a member of Iowa Army National Guard, was awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge on Wednesday at his home in Clear Lake.

HAUGLAND, 29, was serving with Bravo Co., 168th Infantry Battalion, near the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Jan. 8 when his unit was caught in a firefight with Taliban fighters.

He was not injured in the attack.

Three days later, HAUGLAND broke his leg in a non-combat related accident and was shipped home to recover.

HAUGLAND joined the Army National Guard in May 2004.

His unit's mission is to secure the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including to stop the flow of foreign fighters, drugs and guns into Afghanistan.

HAUGLAND'S military commitment will continue until 2015.

He is a graduate of the University of Iowa Iowa and Drake University Law School.

HAUGLAND lives in Clear Lake his wife, Carolyn, and their two children.

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Clear Lake Mirror Reporter
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Thursday, April 14, 2011

Clear Lake soldier honored for service in Afghanistan

HAUGLAND led troops caught in fire fight
A Clear Lake solider has been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge in recognition of his leadership and action ambushed by Taliban rebels in Afghanistan. Gabriel HAUGLAND, 29, was presented with the award Thursday at his Clear Lake home with family and friends present.

HAUGLAND was sent home from Afghanistan after sustaining a non-combart injury requiring surgery and months of rehabilitation three days after the fire fight.

On Jan. 8, 2011 First Lt. HAUGLAND was leading 26 members of Bravo Company, 1st of the 168th Infantry Battalion and 20 Afghan Border Police when the unit was fired upon. His unit's mission is to secure the order between Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to stop the flow of guns, drugs and foreign fighters into the country.

In presenting the Combat Infantryman Badge, Lt. Col. Paul McNAMARA noted HAUGLAND took proper steps to protect his unit and return fire upon their attackers. No Americans or members of the Afghan Border Police were injured in the incident.

"I am sure we killed a number of bad guys with our return fire," said HAUGLAND. He noted that he radioed to bring in an F-15, which swooped down and helped to quickly disperse the rebels.

The Mount Vernon, Iowa native and graduate of the University of Iowa and Drake Law School joined the Army National Guard in 2004. His deployment to Cop Dand Patan base in Afghanistan was his first service abroad.

"We were stationed 300-feet from the Pakistan border. Every morning I would wake up looking north and see Tora Bora (the suspected hide-out of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as stronghold of the Taliban and its Al-Qaeda allies at the time of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001). I couldn't have had better daily motivation," said HAUGLAND.

And while he is happy to be home, HAUGLAND said he misses his unit and can't help but wish he was still there.

"When you spend one year getting ready, you build bonds," he said. "I am proud of how my platoon worked and I miss serving with them. But, I recognize my family needed me and this is what God had in store. I am meant to be here now."

He anticipates that by the time he has completed three to four more months of rehabilitation, his unit will likely be back in the States.

HAUGLAND will roll over seven years of military service in May. His military commitment continues until 2015.

HAUGLAND lives in Clear Lake with his wife, Carolyn, and their children, Grace and Nick.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2011

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