504th PIR Paratrooper earns Silver Star

Major Sean Ryan 2BCT2ID
No paratrooper leaves a forward operating base think­ing they will become a hero that day. They are considering the route they will be on, doing ammunition checks, going over rules of engagement, and thinking of Family and friends before rolling “out­side the wire” for duty in the hazardous streets of Iraq.
April 10 started off the same as other days for the para­troopers from 1st Brigade Combat Team’s 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, “Red Devils.” But that quickly changed, and Staff Sgt.Brandon Zylstra and his pla­toon, part of the quick reaction force, found themselves responsible for hauling a supply trailer to their fellow paratroopers, who were in contact with the enemy in the Al Fadhl neighborhood of east­ern Baghdad.
Zylstra, a native of Sully, Iowa, and his platoon found their route blocked by a jackknifed vehicle and immedi­ately started taking enemy fire. With nowhere to go, he dismounted the vehicle and quickly positioned himself and his paratroopers to start moving forward.
The following events would change Zylstra’s quiet professional demeanor into a an Audie Murphy type, some­thing only Hollywood writers could script and his actions led to him earn­ing the Silver Star.
Despite being completely exposed, Zylstra stood in the street and posi­tioned his paratroopers, while exchanging fire with the enemy for over a minute, which seems like a lifetime in a hot combat zone. The platoon quickly took their first casu­alty and Zylstra ran to administer first aid, with two other paratroopers following his lead to provide securi­ty.
Enemy fire soon struck both of the paratroopers pulling security, and then Zylstra provided medical care to all of them and tried to keep them in a safe location, but the present location was still under heavy attack. Zylstra, who has only known Fort Bragg as his home station and the 504th PIR as his unit, knew he had to assess which of the three casualties was the most serious and get them to better cover.
After dragging the most serious casualty to safety, Zylstra disregarded the hail of bullets around him and ran back to the original site to retrieve the weapon of the original casualty. With enemy fire still erupting around him, he again sprinted back to his fellow injured Paratroopers, this time firing both weapons at the enemy at the same time. As for all the bullets piercing the ground around him, Zylstra said, “The enemy fire didn’t really concern me, I was worried about the lives of my paratroopers.”
Spc. Dennis Howard, a native of Chicago and driver of one of the vehicles that day, explained why his squad leader would risk his life to retrieve the weapon of the first casu­alty that was left behind, “Staff Sgt. Zylstra continually does the right thing and always tells us that your weapon is your best friend and never leave it behind,” Howard said. Zylstra’s day was far from over and again he crossed the bullet-pocked street to check on a casualty, while directing fire from a crew served weapon to position his Paratroopers for the fastest exit when possible. His command team believes this action not only saved the two lives of the wounded paratroopers, but that directing the gunners opened up an avenue of approach to get them out of the area as well.
“Zylstra’s life revolves around the Army and he never asks what the Army can do for him, but what more can he do for the Army,” said 1st Sgt. Christopher Bauman. Bauman, a native of Muncie, Ind., said, “Zylstra is a quiet and humble guy, but is adventurous and you would never see him run from a fight.”
Finally, after opening up an escape route, Zylstra couldn’t find a seat in one of the vehicles.
“I knew my vehicle had casualties in it so I jumped on the hood of my platoon sergeant’s humvee, grabbed the sling load ring to hold on to and started firing my weapon so the enemy would keep their heads down,” he said.
Spc. James Bossio, the driver of Zylstra’s vehicle and native of Modesto, Calif., said, “Staff Sergeant Z is everything I want to be as a para­trooper,” but added, “there was no way I thought he would survive after witnessing some of the things he was doing. Then, jumping on the hood all the while firing at the enemy while I was driving in reverse, it was pretty incredible to witness.”
“Loyalty to his Soldiers and his military bearing are what Zylstra is all about”, said platoon leader, 1st Lt. Daniel Capozza, from Cooperstown, N.Y. “He is not really into much fan­fare, but leaving the area while firing a weapon with one hand is some­thing out of the movies, and he did what he had to do to take care of his guys.”
For his disregard for his personal safety and willingness to risk his life to save his paratroopers, Zylstra was awarded the Silver Star, pinned on by Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, command­er of Multi-National Corps — Iraq, on Aug. 5. The event was held in a crowded theater in eastern Baghdad with Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil, Jr., the Multi-National Division command­ing general–Baghdad, standing next to him. Both generals spent time speaking with the paratroopers of the “Red Devil” battalion and other visitors praising Zylstra and the unit for their dedication and work ethic.
In 1942, the 504th Parachute Infantry became the first parachute infantry regiment in the newly desig­nated 82nd Airborne Division under the command of Maj. Gen. Omar Bradley. The nickname ‘the Devils in Baggy Pants,’ was taken from an entry found in the diary of a German officer killed at Anzio during World War II after their eight-week stay on the beachhead. Few units are more highly decorated or have a prouder heritage than Soldiers of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment and Zylstra has upheld that standard.