File:Minnesota Marine awarded Bronze Star for successfully leading Marines in combat 130516-M-XZ164-139.jpg

English: Capt. Benjamin M. Middendorf, the former commanding officer of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with a Combat “V” for valor during a ceremony at the 5th Marines Memorial Garden here, May 16, 2013. According to the award citation, Middendorf, a native of Rochester, Minn., led Golf Company into an operation that thwarted an insurgent infiltration attempt in the Musa Qal’ah District Center in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in April 2012. A Marine forward observer was severely wounded during the four-hour firefight that developed during the operation. Despite being directly engaged by heavy machine gun fire, Middendorf continued to direct his Marines to neutralize the enemy and safely executed the medical evacuation of the wounded Marine. A month later, Middendorf led his company on a relentless 14-day operation that pushed out enemy forces from Musa Qal’ah district through constant firefights. Through his leadership, his Marines were directly responsible for neutralizing 160 enemy fighters, destroying 40 enemy bunkers, seizing multiple weapons caches and helping Afghan security forces seize and destroy more than $143,000 worth of narcotics during the 14-day operation.

Unit: 1st Marine Division