R. Richardson Active Duty

HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment and Golf Company, 3rd Aviation Regiment 3rd Infantry Division For exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service during Operation Swordbreaker, in support of NATO operations in Europe. From January 1989 to June 1989, Alpha Company, 2-15 Infantry Regiment and Golf Company, 3rd Aviation Regiment displayed extraordinary dedication, combat proficiency, and esprit de corps while executing decisive combat operations against a heavily entrenched enemy force. Alpha Company led the campaign with aggressive mechanized infantry maneuvers, conducting a successful airfield seizure under intense enemy fire. Demonstrating remarkable courage and discipline, the unit closed with and destroyed enemy positions through coordinated fire and maneuver, culminating in a historic bayonet charge that broke the enemy’s main defensive line. Simultaneously, Golf Company provided relentless aerial support and sustainment operations, executing precision close air support, casualty evacuation, and logistical resupply in contested airspace. Their unwavering support enabled ground forces to maintain momentum and decisively defeat a numerically superior foe. The combined actions of these units directly contributed to a strategic victory for NATO and significantly degraded enemy combat power in the region. The performance of Alpha Company, 2-15 IN and Golf Company, 3rd AVN REG reflects great credit upon themselves, the 3rd Infantry Division, and the United States Army.