Army 2LT Leads Platoon Five Kilometers Without Getting Lost, Awarded Medal

Vicenza, Italy – Army Platoon Leader Second Lieutenant Michael Bailey was recently awarded an Army Commendation Medal, with enthusiastic approval from his commanders. The new Lieutenant, recently graduated from West Point, arrived this month in Italy and was assigned to 3rd Platoon, Battle Company, 173rd (Airborne).

“Having a new platoon leader in, especially from West Point, is like having that annoying little cousin over your house,” said Platoon Sergeant SFC Anthony Mileo, “they ask a bunch of questions, have no idea what the hell they are doing, and generally couldn’t find their way out of a paper bag.”

The commander of Battle Company, Captain Randall Lewis, agreed.

“When you are a butter bar, not too much is expected of you, other than that you can’t land nav[igate] to save your life.”

But 2LT Bailey was ready for the challenge. Soon after his platoon introduction, he participated in a company-wide training exercise in the Italian countryside. With only a compass and a map to guide him, the Lieutenant was able to lead his platoon from the assembly area through the final objective — an incredible distance of over 5 kilometers — without getting lost once.

Read the rest at The Duffel Blog!  These guys should be getting a Silver Star for this stuff!