HOW HPTFW ELLIGSEN TURNED THE FIREFIGHT IN OUR FAVOR
2008 was one of the heaviest and costliest years for the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan. On December 24, 2008, a German patrol left the military police station in Kunduz and was ambushed near the village of Tal Gozar. Dusk had already set in, which made it harder for the soldiers to see what they were up against.
One of the Dingos took an RPG in the side. The round punched through the passenger door and into the engine compartment. By some miracle the crew came away with only light injuries and took up the fight. Dismounting from the damaged vehicle, the soldiers came under heavy small arms fire. A second patrol of three Dingos rushed to help the men in the firefight and took some of the pressure off.
With the darkness still keeping the soldiers from locating the enemy, one man stood out. Sergeant First Class A. Elligsen dismounted under enemy fire, took up an unprotected position and directed his comrades’ fire with a thermal imager. From then on the soldiers could engage the enemy accurately. Without a thought for himself, Elligsen stayed in that exposed position for several hours and ran the firefight under fire. With the enemy held at a distance, the damaged Dingo was recovered successfully and there were no further German casualties.
Allied airstrikes and special forces who were on site for a short time helped keep the heavy enemy force in check. German soldiers and insurgents traded fire again and again all through the night, so parts of the patrol were only able to move back to PRT Kunduz the following morning. For his resolve and courage, HptFw A. Elligsen was awarded the Cross of Honour of the Bundeswehr in Gold with Red Border. This decoration is given only for actions carried out under particular danger to life and limb and ranks just below the Cross of Honour for Bravery (Ehrenkreuz für Tapferkeit), the highest award in our armed forces.