Battlefield Promotion

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Combat Leader Earns Battlefield Promotion
Marine Corps News | Michael S. Cifuentes | April 10, 2006
MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, CA. - During 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment’s last deployment, Staff Sgt. Todd M. Leahey, a squad leader with a mobile assault platoon, Weapons Company, demonstrated actions surpassing his rank responsibilities, according to his citation, warranting him a combat meritorious promotion.

According to a military fact sheet, meritorious promotions are not used as rewards or when a personal commendation or award is appropriate. A meritorious promotion is based entirely on the Marine’s demonstrated capability to employ the responsibilities and duties of their higher rank in an appropriate method.

Commanding generals may award combat meritorious promotions to privates first class through sergeants. In the cases of sergeants and staff sergeants, commanding generals make recommendations to the Commandant's office, who approves or disapproves the recommendations, based on the Marine’s action and performance in combat or under combat conditions. According to Headquarters Marine Corps promotion branch, Marines recommended for a combat meritorious promotion must have demonstrated outstanding leadership to a degree rarely attained by Marines of equal grade. Determination of eligibility for promotion is based on the command’s recommendation and combat performance.

“Staff Sgt. Leahey is an all around, solid Marine,” said 1st Sgt. Daniel W. Fliegel, Leahey’s first sergeant from in Iraq. “Our company established a mobile assault platoon during the last deployment, which combined all weapon elements into one platoon.

“Staff Sgt. Leahey led his platoon through many successful missions and was very noticeable about it,” said the Fliegel, a Dundas, Minn., native. “You can always tell who his guys were because they emulated him.”

2/7, who call themselves the “War Dogs,” mainly operated in the southern part of Fallujah, Iraq, along the Euphrates River, said Fliegel. As a squad leader, Leahey led his squad through more than 160 combat patrols, discovering and destroying multiple weapon caches consisting of more than 400 mortar rounds, three dozen rockets, two dozen explosive projectiles, artillery shells, and numerous smaller munitions. After his squad’s biggest find, 300 rounds of various munitions near Al Taqaddum, Iraq, the 28-year-old earned a special honor from 2/7’s commanding officer and a new name from his Marines.

“I took my squad up a hill where I wanted to clear out trash and debris to set up an OP,” said Leahey, a St. Peters, Mo., native. “As the Marines were setting up the area, one found an old 155 mm [artillery round]. We started searching for more, and we continued to find round after round. After digging up the place we ended up finding over 300 rounds and a dozen rocket components.”

After two days of hard yet careful work his commander Lt. Col. Joseph A. L’Etoile came to see what his Marines were doing.

"He brought out a logistics truck for us with some hot chow [meals],” said Leahey, remembering the commander and that day. “Throughout our whole deployment, that was the first time we had hot chow in the field. So, the Marines gave me the name ‘Hot Plate’ because of my findings and what it brought to us.”

While serving as sergeant of the guard at an entry control point to the city later in the deployments, Leahey supervised the daily processing of more than 250 vehicles and 300 Iraqi citizens. He also led an assault on a building that resulted in the capture of a high-valued individual.

Leahey’s squad were always ready for whatever was thrown at us, at any time, he said. One night they received notice of a high-valued individual spotted in a building. His squad was on the scene, had the individual detained and brought back to our base within one hour. This man was a Marine Expeditionary Force-level, high-valued target.

Growing up, Leahey had strong ties to the military. His grandfather, whom he looks to as a mentor and hero, was a World War II veteran, serving in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during the Japanese attacks in 1941, and went on to reach the rank of colonel.

He graduated from Francis Howell High School in 1995, and two weeks later he was in boot camp. He had many reasons to join the military, but his high school weight lifting coach, Coach White, a former Marine drill instructor and a Vietnam War veteran, was the man who steered him most to become a Leatherneck.

After his first, four-year term in the Marine Corps as an infantryman with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Leahey decided to leave the Corps and further his education, so he enrolled in college courses at St. Charles County Community College in Missouri. He then proceeded to the University of Missouri, St. Louis. His goals were to earn a degree in criminal justice.

In April 2001, Leahey decided to return to the Marine Corps, and he joined 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. His first deployment to Iraq was during Operation Iraq Freedom I. His battalion joined efforts in the push to Baghdad, to secure Saddam Hussein’s stronghold.

His experience in OIF III differed from that of OIF I, he said. The constant threat of IED’s presented more danger for him and his battalion. Also, as a squad leader, his tasks changed when his company combined anti-armor teams with dismount capabilities. The change was initiated by 2/7’s battalion commander.

My Marines were very effective with our new force,” said Leahey. “We conducted any mission a regular rifle squad would carry out, but we had the firepower of a weapons company. We reinforced a lot of line companies and we hunted for bad guys from four to 10 days at a time.”

Since Leahey’s company were out in platoons with crew-served weapons, anti-tank weapons, automatic machine guns and dismounted infantrymen, no one really wanted to mess with them, he said. They didn’t have to use that much firepower. This gave them a better chance to build a good relation with the Iraqi civilians.

During OIF III, Leahey’s company commanding officer elected him for a combat meritorious promotion. For his professionalism, his pride as a squad leader and his persistent outstanding actions while in and out of the field, Leahey was promoted from sergeant to staff sergeant.

“The Marines in my squad made this happen for me,” said Leahey. “They were persistent, professional and outstanding Marines. They worked really hard and they believed in being over there. They believed in the Marine Corps. My promotion is a reflection of them. There were four meritorious promotions from my squad. And while keeping professional, none of them were afraid to get dirty and work until told to stop. They were always ready on a moments notice. I look up to the Marines in my squad.”

After following the experience of his grandfather, and continuing his great work ethic, which he says he gets from his mother, Leahey is slated to continue his journey in the Marine Corps as a recruiter in Jacksonville, Fla. His goal is to stay the course in the Corps as a career. He looks back on his deployments as a great experience and will take the memories of them with him wherever he goes, he said.

“I went to Iraq with an open mind both times,” said Leahey. “I definitely built up a respect for Iraqi people. They take their hardships of life head-on and fight for freedom and liberties that a lot of Americans take for granted. Coming back from a deployment, and being in the comfort of my family, I appreciate what we have here in the U.S. a lot more. I feel much more love for my country.”

Leahey will miss the intense Weapons Company lifestyle, he said. More so, he will miss the Marines and Sailors he worked with.

“My company worked so hard and improved so much in one year,” said Leahey. “I’ve gained a lot more discipline working alongside them. Every day we had a huge workload, and our days were all about mission accomplishment. Even after losing Marines, it just stiffened our resolve. It’s a real honor to have served with Marines of their caliber.”

As a father of a 2-year-old daughter, Trinity, and a 2-month-old son, Charles, Leahey needs more time to spend with his family, he said. His family gave him the support he needed as a deployed Marine and he wishes to return the support.

“My wife, especially, is a real strong supporter of what I’m doing,” said Leahey.
“She organized a ‘Support the Troops’ rally in her hometown while protests against the war rally was going on in the same area.

“She sang the national anthem during the rally as well,” continued Leahey. “She is a big supporter of all the troops serving in the military, and she’s my biggest supporter. She’s sacrificed a lot as a Marine wife. Her patriotism motivated me.”

While serving a b-billet in Florida, Leahey hopes to continue his hobbies of working out at the gym and traveling with his family. He gives thanks and appreciation to his battalion, company, squad and assistant patrol leader. They all left their full efforts on the battlefield and are always ready to go back, he said.

“His presence was felt by everyone in our company,” said Fliegel. “We are definitely going to miss him. But, his stories and nicknames, such as ‘Hot Plate’ and ‘FOB [Forward Operating Base] Leahey’ will continue to be told amongst our company.”