News on Those Who Serve and Protect us

My friend, ex-secretary and office manager, Sue Stephenson, sends this news from the battlefields of our ongoing War on Terror.

First Lieutentant Troy Van Cannon is Sue's Son-In-Law.

First Lieutenant Troy Van Cannon, United States Army distinguished himself by exceptionally meritorious service to the United States as Platoon Leader serving third Platoon, Alpha Company 1-181st FA BN, Multi-National Force- Iraq, from 01 September 2007 to 15 May 2008 during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. 1LT Cannon demonstrated outstanding professional skill, knowledge, and inter-service leadership in organizing, developing and reforming the Quick Reaction Force. 1LT Cannon’s attention to detail, decisive decision making, and persistence ensure all mission reports, spot reports, and sitreps were reported correct and on time every time. 1LT Cannon led his platoon in one hundred fifty nine logged missions continually dealing with the detainees, contraband, and the compounds. 1LT Cannon lead the first push into a Hasty Compound with a portion of his platoon, thirty nine personnel, subduing one hundred thirty seven detainees whom over came the guard force and bridging the wall between the water closet and the compound. During the push into compounds 31 and 32, 1LT Cannon distinguished himself by consistently placing himself inside the compounds with the Quick Reaction Force in close combat with over four hundred detainees heavily armed with hand made lethal weapons knowing we were outnumbered by three to one. 1LT Cannon conducted the first raid into the most hostile compound at the Theater Interment Facility to gather counter intelligence information hidden in the compound or on detainees and performed this without firing any lethal or not lethal weapons. He has played a significant role in supporting his platoon on numerous raid missions where the Quick Reaction Force was required to extract detainees from their domicile, occasionally with resistance and non-compliance, in order to gather important intelligence information; this has proven on many accounts to be extremely valuable in learning how the detainees network their communication with their external correspondents and gather information relating to the security of the Theatre Interment Facility. While conducting Dig, Search, and Sweep Operations, the Quick Reaction Force discovered a great number of tunnels constructed by detainees to aide them in the escape and evasion of the guard force. These discoveries contributed greatly to the prevention of planned escape attempts of the detainees which would integrate them back into the community. He participated in several mass moves of detainees from one compound to another in order to better segregate and in some cases integrate detainees from different religious backgrounds with the intention of either protecting or educating the detainees. 1LT Cannon’s outstanding leadership was not only recognized by his soldiers, but by the Naval Criminal investigative Service agents working at the compounds stating they would take his plan of action for a raid back to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service School House to implement into their training. 1LT Cannon’s actions leading his Quick Reaction Force teams with little to no concern for his safety ensured the teams stayed on line, continually moved forward toward the hostile detainees, and rules of engagement and escalation of force were followed ensuring no unnecessary harm was done to the detainees or his soldiers. First Lieutenant Cannon’s actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of the military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the Multi-National Force-Iraq, and the United States Army.