Gilmer Adds Audie Murphy Award To His List Of Honors
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
To be inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is a very prestigious honor for a serviceman. A soldier has to get nominated by his commanders to even be considered.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Gilmer, 32, North Webster, received the honor and was inducted in September.
"You have to be the full-spectrum leader," Gilmer said. "One of the biggest things is, you have to be a proven leader in combat."
The process began last year with his record, training tests, marksmanship and other criteria all being reviewed. Gilmer also had to go through an interview.
Along with the induction, Gilmer received an Audie Murphy medallion and other awards.
In the Army, there are three types of people: officers, enlisted rank and warrant officers. Gilmer said fewer than 1 percent of noncommissioned officers are Sergeant Audie Murphy Club members. When Gilmer was inducted, he was one among the 22 people chosen out of 8,000 nominated.
The Audie Murphy honor isn't the first award Gilmer, a 1997 Warsaw Community High School graduate, has received since enlisting in the U.S. Army on Jan. 4, 1998.
In February 2004, Gilmer received the Bronze Star Medal. A Bronze Star can be given two different ways, with Gilmer's being a tour award.
According to the narrative provided by Gilmer, "During Operation Iraqi Freedom, (Gilmer) distinguished himself through his exceptionally meritorious service as a Team Leader in E 51st Infantry, Long Range Surveillance Company."
Gilmer conducted more than 30 combat patrols during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He conducted missions in Balad, Al Fallujah and Abu Ghraib, Iraq. One of his first missions was to secure a downed Predator UAV to the north of LSA Anaconda.
In the previous May, Gilmer was attached to the 3rd ID and participated in reconnaissance and surveillance missions with the purpose of identifying Iraqi nationals attempting to break into weapons caches in Al Fallujah.
After completing his missions with 3rd ID, Gilmer's team conducted a doctrinal LRS mission along the Iranian border in support of 4th ID. His mission was to identify Iranian nationals entering Iraq illegally with the intent of hostilities and terrorist acts on coalition forces. The mission lasted 72 hours and provided a clear intelligence picture of the Iran and Iraq border crossing.
That September, Gilmer observed an armed Iraqi placing what he believed to be an IED. Gilmer moved forward and attempted to question the Iraqi. The Iraqi immediately brought his weapon up and attempted to fire. The team killed the man and recovered an AK-74 rifle.
While conducting a counter-mortar surveillance mission in Balad, an AH-64 Apache crashed near Gilmer's team. Gilmer and his team were the closest to the down helicopter, and Gilmer personally facilitated the recovery of the two pilots.
The narrative continues with further accounts of Gilmer's actions in November and December 2003.
For being wounded in an ambush in Iraq, Gilmer received the Purple Heart. Gilmer said the ambush was a combination of gunfire and an IED.
Luckily, he said, he suffered no permanent injuries. It did blow out his right ear drum, and he got shrapnel in his face. The shrapnel was so small, it caused bleeding but no scars.
Gilmer spent more than 24 months in Iraq on multiple deployments.
Gilmer also has the Army Commendation Medal with six oak leaf clusters, and Army Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters. He received the Recruiting Badge Gold, Parachutist Badge with Senior Rated Star, Air Assault Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge and Combat Infantry Badge.[[In-content Ad]]Gilmer is the NCO of 2010 for all of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. He said he was chosen over 7,700 NCOs for the honor.
Gilmer, by definition, he said, is an airborne ranger. During his military career, Gilmer has held many jobs and titles.
While at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, with the 101st Airborne Division, he held every duty position from rifleman to squad leader. In 2002, he requested orders through the Ranger branch to be stationed in Germany. He was in a highly specialized company known as Long Range Surveillance. His company was Airborne Rangers, however, they were attached to the 165th Military Intelligence Battalion as a human intelligence asset. His unit worked in reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
In Germany, Gilmer held a variety of positions from assistant team leader to platoon sergeant.
He also has served as an instructor at the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in Ft. Benning, Ga.
Gilmer's training is vast. He attended and graduated Warrior Leaders Course, Air Assault, Airborne, Combat Life Saver and U.S. Army Ranger Course. He went through two North Atlantic Treaty Organization Special Forces schools, and earned the distinguished Honor Graduate Award at the Air Force Close Air Support Course.
He continued his noncommissioned officer education by attending the Basic NCO Course and the Advanced NCO Course. At the Basic NCO Course, Gilmer earned the Honor Graduate award. At the Advanced NCO Course, Gilmer earned the Army Physical Fitness Test award.
He currently is on a tour of recruiting duty in Kokomo.
Jacob is the son of James and Treasure Gilmer.
Jacob and his wife, Rachel, live in North Webster. They have three children, Jacob, 15; Morgan, 10; and Nathan, 4. Rachel and Jacob were high school sweethearts.
"The only reason he's on recruiting duty is to be with his family," Rachel said.
"I'm pretty proud of him."
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To be inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club is a very prestigious honor for a serviceman. A soldier has to get nominated by his commanders to even be considered.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Gilmer, 32, North Webster, received the honor and was inducted in September.
"You have to be the full-spectrum leader," Gilmer said. "One of the biggest things is, you have to be a proven leader in combat."
The process began last year with his record, training tests, marksmanship and other criteria all being reviewed. Gilmer also had to go through an interview.
Along with the induction, Gilmer received an Audie Murphy medallion and other awards.
In the Army, there are three types of people: officers, enlisted rank and warrant officers. Gilmer said fewer than 1 percent of noncommissioned officers are Sergeant Audie Murphy Club members. When Gilmer was inducted, he was one among the 22 people chosen out of 8,000 nominated.
The Audie Murphy honor isn't the first award Gilmer, a 1997 Warsaw Community High School graduate, has received since enlisting in the U.S. Army on Jan. 4, 1998.
In February 2004, Gilmer received the Bronze Star Medal. A Bronze Star can be given two different ways, with Gilmer's being a tour award.
According to the narrative provided by Gilmer, "During Operation Iraqi Freedom, (Gilmer) distinguished himself through his exceptionally meritorious service as a Team Leader in E 51st Infantry, Long Range Surveillance Company."
Gilmer conducted more than 30 combat patrols during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He conducted missions in Balad, Al Fallujah and Abu Ghraib, Iraq. One of his first missions was to secure a downed Predator UAV to the north of LSA Anaconda.
In the previous May, Gilmer was attached to the 3rd ID and participated in reconnaissance and surveillance missions with the purpose of identifying Iraqi nationals attempting to break into weapons caches in Al Fallujah.
After completing his missions with 3rd ID, Gilmer's team conducted a doctrinal LRS mission along the Iranian border in support of 4th ID. His mission was to identify Iranian nationals entering Iraq illegally with the intent of hostilities and terrorist acts on coalition forces. The mission lasted 72 hours and provided a clear intelligence picture of the Iran and Iraq border crossing.
That September, Gilmer observed an armed Iraqi placing what he believed to be an IED. Gilmer moved forward and attempted to question the Iraqi. The Iraqi immediately brought his weapon up and attempted to fire. The team killed the man and recovered an AK-74 rifle.
While conducting a counter-mortar surveillance mission in Balad, an AH-64 Apache crashed near Gilmer's team. Gilmer and his team were the closest to the down helicopter, and Gilmer personally facilitated the recovery of the two pilots.
The narrative continues with further accounts of Gilmer's actions in November and December 2003.
For being wounded in an ambush in Iraq, Gilmer received the Purple Heart. Gilmer said the ambush was a combination of gunfire and an IED.
Luckily, he said, he suffered no permanent injuries. It did blow out his right ear drum, and he got shrapnel in his face. The shrapnel was so small, it caused bleeding but no scars.
Gilmer spent more than 24 months in Iraq on multiple deployments.
Gilmer also has the Army Commendation Medal with six oak leaf clusters, and Army Achievement Medal with six oak leaf clusters. He received the Recruiting Badge Gold, Parachutist Badge with Senior Rated Star, Air Assault Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge and Combat Infantry Badge.[[In-content Ad]]Gilmer is the NCO of 2010 for all of the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. He said he was chosen over 7,700 NCOs for the honor.
Gilmer, by definition, he said, is an airborne ranger. During his military career, Gilmer has held many jobs and titles.
While at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, with the 101st Airborne Division, he held every duty position from rifleman to squad leader. In 2002, he requested orders through the Ranger branch to be stationed in Germany. He was in a highly specialized company known as Long Range Surveillance. His company was Airborne Rangers, however, they were attached to the 165th Military Intelligence Battalion as a human intelligence asset. His unit worked in reconnaissance and surveillance missions.
In Germany, Gilmer held a variety of positions from assistant team leader to platoon sergeant.
He also has served as an instructor at the 4th Ranger Training Battalion in Ft. Benning, Ga.
Gilmer's training is vast. He attended and graduated Warrior Leaders Course, Air Assault, Airborne, Combat Life Saver and U.S. Army Ranger Course. He went through two North Atlantic Treaty Organization Special Forces schools, and earned the distinguished Honor Graduate Award at the Air Force Close Air Support Course.
He continued his noncommissioned officer education by attending the Basic NCO Course and the Advanced NCO Course. At the Basic NCO Course, Gilmer earned the Honor Graduate award. At the Advanced NCO Course, Gilmer earned the Army Physical Fitness Test award.
He currently is on a tour of recruiting duty in Kokomo.
Jacob is the son of James and Treasure Gilmer.
Jacob and his wife, Rachel, live in North Webster. They have three children, Jacob, 15; Morgan, 10; and Nathan, 4. Rachel and Jacob were high school sweethearts.
"The only reason he's on recruiting duty is to be with his family," Rachel said.
"I'm pretty proud of him."
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