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Special Agents Joseph Piersante, Jared Johnson, Justin Vanderbilt, Paul Harris, Brent Poortinga, Matthew Fischer and Matthew Stewart, Drug Enforcement Administration

Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery
Description

Throughout October 30–31, 2011, in furtherance of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) drug law enforcement mission in Afghanistan, Special Agents of the DEA's foreign-deployed Advisory Support Team conducted counter-narcotics/counter-insurgency operations with their police partners from the Afghan National Interdiction Unit, assisted by the Australian Defense Forces.

This task force departed their base via four helicopters as part of a mission to execute Afghan drug warrants and to search for narcotics caches and heroin production labs. The team began to search the target area and accompanying opium bazaar when they began to receive sporadic incoming enemy fire. They accomplished their assigned duties and then maneuvered to the extraction location, all while under sporadic enemy fire.

When the task force arrived at the helicopter landing zones, they continued to receive effective enemy fire. One of the four helicopters was forced to make an additional orbit and subsequently land in the vicinity of Special Agents Piersante, Johnson, Vanderbilt, Harris, Stewart, Fischer, and Poortinga and five members from the Australian Special Forces. This helicopter landed under fire.

Special Agent Piersante laid down suppressive fire, which enabled Special Agents Stewart, Harris, and Fischer to board the helicopter. Once inside, Special Agent Stewart continued applying suppressive fire. Special Agent Stewart directed an Afghan door gunner to initiate suppressive fire in an attempt to cover the remaining members of the team still outside the helicopter. Special Agent Piersante was approximately 10 meters from the rear of the helicopter when he was subsequently hit by enemy fire. The round penetrated his ballistic helmet, entered above his right eye and exited above his left eye, and he was immediately rendered unconscious and fell to the ground.

Special Agent Poortinga positioned himself at the rear of the helicopter and continued laying down suppressive fire as Special Agent Piersante was being assisted into the helicopter. He instinctively put himself in harm’s way and returned fire until all personnel were onboard the helicopter. As the helicopter took off, Special Agents Vanderbilt, Johnson, and Harris immediately rendered first aid to Special Agent Piersante and controlled his bleeding, maintained an open airway, and stabilized him. Special Agent Piersante was eventually transferred to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia for continued treatment and rehabilitation. The actions of all the special agents involved both before and following the shooting were clearly heroic.

Press Releases

A group of three people standing together. The man in the middle is holding a Badge of Bravery award.
Sen. Mark Warner; Special Agent Justin Vanderbilt (recipient); Congressman Eric Cantor
A group of three people standing together. The man in the middle is holding a Badge of Bravery award.
Sen. Jim Webb; Special Agent Jared Johnson (recipient); Congressman Gerry Connolly
A group of three people standing together. The man in the middle is holding a Badge of Bravery award.
Sen. Jim Webb; Special Agent Paul Harris (recipient); Congressman Gerry Connolly
A group of three people standing together. The man in the middle is holding a Badge of Bravery award.
Sen. Mark Warner; Special Agent Matthew Stewart (recipient); Congressman Rob Wittman
A group of three people standing together. The man in the middle is holding a Badge of Bravery award.
Sen. Mark Warner; Special Agent Matthew Fischer (recipient); Congressman Rob Wittman
A group of three people standing together. The man in the middle is holding a Badge of Bravery award.
Sen. Jim Webb; Special Agent Brent Poortinga (recipient); Congressman Rob Wittman
A group of three people standing together. The man in the middle is holding a Badge of Bravery award.
Sen. Mark Warner; Special Agent Joseph Piersante (recipient); Congressman Rob Wittman
People conversing together in a group at the Badge of Bravery award ceremony
CBOB recipients with Senator Mark Warner
People conversing together in a group at the Badge of Bravery award ceremony
Senator Jim Webb, Administrator Michele Leonhart (retired), Deputy Administrator Thomas Harrigan (retired) and Special Agent Joseph Piersante (recipient)
A group of people standing together in a row at the Badge of Bravery awards ceremony
CBOB recipients with Administrator Michele Leonhart (retired) and congressional members
A group of people sitting in a row in the crowd at the Badge of Bravery awards ceremony
CBOB recipients during the presentation ceremony