Bravo Zulu, Doc

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown ,

a 19-year-old medic from Texas became the first woman in Afghanistan and only the second woman since World War II to receive the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest medal for valor.

Spc Brown, of the 4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, was part of a four-vehicle convoy patrolling near Jani Kheil in the eastern province of Paktia on April 25, 2007, when a bomb struck one of the Humvees.

Spc Brown used her body to shield wounded comrades as she ran through insurgent gunfire and mortar shelling.

“I did not really have time to be scared,” Brown said. “Running back to the vehicle, I was nervous (since) I did not know how badly the guys were injured. That was scary.”

The military said Brown’s “bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat.”

Bravo Zulu = Well Done!