Boalsburg Native Honored For Courage In Combat

Army officials plan to honor a Centre County native with top honors following heroic efforts while serving in Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Special Operations representatives in North Carolina told WJAC-TV that Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mark Roland will be awarded the Silver Star Medal on Monday, the army’s third-highest award for combat soldiers.

The Boalsburg native is credited with saving the lives of several Afghan soldiers when a unit of the Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 732 was targeted in heavy insurgent fire on June 11, 2007.

"Our supply vehicles were hit with a very elaborate and large ambush. In our response to that, we discovered that our Afghan National counterparts were actually in the assault, in the ambush, and they became pinned down in the fire,” said Roland via telephone from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. “Then subsequent to that, we ended up going and helping them out and getting them out of the situation."

Army officials described Roland’s actions as “extraordinary collective valor”.

Roland told WJAC-TV that more lives would’ve been lost if it weren’t for the courageous work of every soldier in the unit.

"If every single person hadn't done their job right that day, it could have gone a lot differently,” said Roland.

Several family members, including Roland’s wife, will be present for the Silver Star Medal ceremony at Fort Bragg on Monday.