Zachary Boyd, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sleeping when the Taliban attacked his unit (Army 1st Bn 26th Infantry) at a base in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.
Spc. Boyd grabbed his weapon, put on his helmet and vest and took his position.
A news photographer recorded the image of Boyd in helmet, body armor, red T-shirt, pink boxers and flip-flops.
Spc Boyd was concerned about losing his job when the photo wound up on the front page of the New York Times.
"I can assure you that Specialist Boyd's job is very safe indeed," Sec Def Robert Gates said.
"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage. I can only wonder about the (psychological) impact on the Taliban."
The soldiers alongside Boyd are Spcs. Cecil Montgomery of LA and Jordan Custer of Spokane, WA. They are both wearing pants, but Spc. Custer has no socks and is wearing silver running shoes.
photograph by David Guttenfelder
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