PROFILE
CHAD HEMBREE’S STORY — “HELL CAME DOWN ON TOP OF US.”
Chad Hembree, then 19 and a gun-team leader, had seen combat before Operation Bulldog Bite began on Nov. 12, 2010. But he and the other 39 men of the 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, had never seen anything like what they encountered as they swept Taliban fighters out of a series of small villages. Hembree’s description speaks volumes in a few words: “Hell came down on top of us.” The operation was planned as a 24-to-72 hour mission with Hembree’s 40-man platoon as the “spear tip” of the operation, supported by another 60 soldiers from Combat Outpost Honaker-Miracle. It became five days of brutal fighting, often while ambushed, outnumbered and protected by little cover on the rocky mountainsides. Friends were killed in action or wounded. Hembree was knocked unconscious twice by rocket-propelled grenades that exploded almost on top of him. At one point, he resigned himself to the likelihood that he would not leave the mountain alive. As officers were wounded, Hembree found himself in command of more men than usual, a responsibility that left him sleepless and standing guard for several nights while the rest of 1st Platoon tried to get some rest. Amid the fiercest fighting, Hembree’s unit took
cover in a small hut where the men gathered around and wept as one of their comrades died slowly from a head wound. The fighting continued for hours. But as the sun rose the next day, Hembree’s guard duty was interrupted by the approach of a welcome sight – a unit of Army Rangers, Special Forces, Navy Seals and commandos from the Afghanistan Nation Security forces that had fought its way through the valley to rescue 1st Platoon and Alpha Company. Seven American soldiers died in the fighting and 30 more were wounded. Of the 40 men in 1st Platoon, only Hembree and 12 others were able to walk off the mountain. Official estimates placed the Taliban casualties between 52 and 150 killed in what the Army considered a successful mission that “had broken the morale of the Taliban.” Hembree received the Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device for his bravery. He saw additional combat before he left Afghanistan in May 2011. He still carries physical and mental reminders of his combat experiences. Preparing to marry his longtime fiancé while in Las Vegas for the presentation, Hembree now focuses on building a good life for himself and his family. For a detailed story of Chad Hembree and Operation Bulldog Bite including photos, visit
DOMmagazine.com/chad_hembree.
11.12 2013
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Custom fabricated Jet Aviation brake caliper placard
OPERATION HOG Jet Aviation St. Louis was supported by several vendors or sponsors who donated materials for the project – especially the owners of Gateway Harley-Davidson Motorcycles in St. Louis, who provided the bike and many accessories to Jet Aviation at special prices. The customization of the motorcycle brought together many of the aviation disciplines that help create remarkable aircraft for Jet Aviation’s customers at its large facility at St. Louis Downtown Airport. But Operation Hog quickly became something more than a new project. When Gateway Harley-Davidson first rolled the stock bike into Jet Aviation’s hangar, they were met by a roar of cheers and applause from the Jet Aviation St. Louis volunteers and supporters. Seeing the bike they were about to customize for the first time seemed to unite the team behind a truly worthy cause. “Nothing was more important to this team than honoring
Hembree’s service and the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan — and by members of the armed forces everywhere,” Krugh says. “Volunteering more hours and more effort than we could have imagined, this team has built something really remarkable by any standard. While we’re proud to be able to apply the abilities and talents we bring to Jet Aviation’s work every day, we’re especially proud to be able to apply them to honor Hembree, his comrades and all of the armed forces. That’s what this entire effort is all about.”
DOMmagazine
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