An American Hero: Local soldier receives Purple Heart, Bronze Star

Fighting in Afghanistan this past summer with the Green Berets, Staff Sgt. Ryan Stovall believes he’s lucky to be alive.

Stovall last week received the Bronze Star medal, Army Commendation Medal and a Purple Heart for his role in the elimination of three Taliban leaders and more than a dozen other insurgents, and for securing vital reconnaissance information during intense battles on July 29 and Sept. 5.

“What they pin on your chest isn’t nearly as important as the brotherhood of the men to your left and right,” Stovall said Tuesday from Germany. “They’re the reason I do what I do.”

Stovall, the senior medical sergeant for the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group, is a 1999 graduate of Troy High School and son of Becky Stovall of Libby and Gib Stovall of Moyie Springs, Idaho.

Stovall said he didn’t tell his parents about receiving the prestigious medals this past Thursday because he thought it would be a good surprise for them to read about it in the newspaper.

While on a foot patrol on July 29 in eastern Afghanistan’s Kapisa province, Stovall and other soldiers were ambushed by about 15 insurgents in a wadi – which could be described as a gully or a wash. Stovall immediately sent 100 rounds of ammo toward the enemy. At the same time, his team took cover and also began to return fire.

“We were ambushed by approximately five to 10 insurgents from some dense vegetation about 15 to 25 meters away,” Stovall said. “When you get shot at from that close, you just let the adrenaline take over, and you react automatically.”

Stovall suffered a leg injury during the fight.

“The very first bullet hit a rock next to my leg and kicked a bunch of shrapnel up into my knee,” he said. “There wasn’t any pain, but I definitely knew I’d been shot.”

Chief Warrant Officer Douglas Vose, a team leader, was shot during the fight. Stovall, the senior medical sergeant, treated Vose for more than 30 minutes until support arrived. Vose later died from his injuries.

Stovall said losing Vose was difficult.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize what it’s like losing a brother in arms in combat,” Stovall said.

Staff Sgt. Jarred Shewey and Sgt. 1st Class Justin Aflague were also in the fight. Both also received a Bronze Star last week.

U.S. intelligence later confirmed the death of three Taliban leaders and several other insurgents.

On Sept. 5, Stovall and the Green Berets found themselves in another fight. This time, the attack occurred when about 45 insurgents struck while Stovall’s unit was awaiting a French air evacuation following a reconnaissance mission.

Stovall suffered another leg injury when he was hit with shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade.

“In the space of about 5 seconds, the other guy I was moving with was hit with bullets in the hand, in the helmet and in the back plate of his body armor, and I got my leg tore up,” Stovall said. “It was the same leg as before, but this was quite a bit worse … It was all we could do to get back to the perimeter the other guys had set up.”

The mission involved International Security Assistance Forces. Army officials said Stovall’s actions helped secure critical information collected during the mission.

Stovall, 28, plans to get married and settle down back in the area.

“I’ll be here a couple more months and then will be transitioning into the Guard,” he said. “I’ll come back to Libby, have my fiancée meet the family – she’s never been home with me yet – and will try to find some gainful employment.”

Stovall said there are no Special Forces National Guard units in Montana so he may be doing some traveling between northwestern Montana and Utah.

He recovered quickly from the leg injury.

“They did an incredible job. Speaking from a medical standpoint, a wound like I got would’ve taken between three and six months to recover from,” he said. “It took me six weeks and I went back to the team in Afghanistan.”