YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea -- A Republic of Korea Army colonel received the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan during a ceremony here Sept. 24.
Col. Joeng Jang-soo, who commanded South Korean troops in Afghanistan, was presented the medal by 8th U.S. Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr.
"It is my distinct pleasure to present the first Bronze Star Medal I've ever seen awarded to an allied officer," said Fil. "I thank the significant efforts and pay tribute not only to the ROK Army troops but also to the alliance of United States and Korea."
Jeong led the South Korean support group's engineer and medical contingents and achieved 82 missions and goals of the Combined Joint Task Force in Afghanistan.
The Bronze Star Medal is awarded for bravery, acts of merit and meritorious service while engaged in armed conflict. Jeong's unit completed more than $4 million in construction projects and treated more than 240,000 patients; the majority of which were Afghan civilians. His service demonstrated the commitment of the United States and the Republic of Korea to achieve peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.
After receiving the award, Joeng paid tribute to the troops who served alongside him in Afghanistan.
"It is a great honor for me to get this medal, but I'd like to direct my credit to my comrades who have been working with me in Afghanistan and also to the U.S. alliance for their partnership that has helped us successfully complete our mission," said Jeong.
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