KABUL – U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey presented awards to 13 Soldiers while visiting troops at NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan April 21.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew Pawlikowski of Secaucus, N.J. was presented the Bronze Star Medal by Dempsey for serving as deputy command chaplain, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan.
Dempsey – the Army’s 37th Chief of Staff and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – listened to troops and answered their questions at a town hall meeting during his first visit to Afghanistan. Then he surprised soldiers by presenting them with medals for accomplishments impacting Operation Enduring Freedom.
After presenting awards, Dempsey thanked awardees and more than 100 joint warfighters in attendance for their efforts in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and asked the troops to pass on his appreciation to their families.
“I admire the work of CSTC-A and NTM-A,” said Dempsey. “What you’ve done is inspiring.”
The NTM-A/CSTC-A joint and coalition warfighters – in coordination with NATO nations and partners, international organizations, donors and non-governmental organizations – supports the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as it generates and sustains the Afghan National Security Force, develops leaders, and establishes enduring institutional capacity to enable accountable Afghan-led security.
“As the chief of the US Army he (Dempsey) views the soldiers here as the most important thing going on in the army,” said NTM-A Commanding General Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV at the event. “General Dempsey knows the men and women serving NTM-A are making an incredible difference and are making it possible for Afghanistan to stand up and be responsible for their own security.”