Detail honors Purple Heart recipient
FOX TWP. – St. Marys Servicemen’s Detail Sergeant in Charge Tom Price continued his tradition of recognizing a Purple Heart recipient during the organization’s annual banquet on Saturday night, this year choosing to honor Brookville native Jason Powell, who currently resides in St. Marys.
Born in 1982, Powell graduated from Clarion-Limestone High School in 2001 but did not enter military service until 2010, when he joined the United States Army Reserves.
Following basic training and advanced infantry training, Powell was deployed to Afghanistan from February 2012 to February 2013 during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Price noted that Powell volunteered to deploy with the 420th Engineer Company out of Indiana, Pa.
“He conducted route clearance operations in the entire northern area of operations of Afghanistan, as well as recon and overwatch,” Price said. “He supported other defense agencies and the Afghan National Army. His primary mission was to find and destroy IEDs in place along roadways.”
Many of these IEDs detonated on the vehicles of Powell and his fellow soldiers, and Price explained that the injuries that Powell sustained that resulted in his receiving the Purple Heart were the result of one such incident.
“His initial injuries were sustained in a complex ambush on their patrol where an IED was detonated on his vehicle to initiate the ambush. He was one of several wounded that day, Sept. 5, 2012,” Price said.
Powell was treated for multiple injuries and returned to his unit nine days later.
After continuing to actively serve until June 2016, Powell was discharged in June 2018.
In addition to the Purple Heart, Powell was also awarded a Commendation Medal, Combat Action Badge, and Army Good Conduct Medal.
Powell and his wife Amber currently reside in St. Marys with their two daughters, Ava and Lyla.
“He is a 100-percent disabled veteran. He receives regular care from our local VA that does an extraordinary job in caring for veterans,” Price said.
Powell received a standing ovation from all those in attendance at the banquet, and he was also presented with a token of gratitude by members of the St. Marys Servicemen’s Detail.