Peter Newell

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Peter Newell, Lieutenant Colonel (Infantry), U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while Commanding the 2d Battalion, 2d Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry division, during combat action against enemy forces in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, in November 2004, at Fallujah, Iraq. Lieutenant Colonel Newell deployed a 550-soldier mechanized task force on 72 hours’ notice to Fallujah in November 2004, leading a continuous 12-day attack in the heavily fortified Askari district. His forces overwhelmed resistance in the first 14 hours, ultimately killing 330 enemy fighters, capturing 48 others, destroying 38 weapons caches, two roadside- bomb factories and one car-bomb factory while becoming the first battalion in the division to achieve its objective. On 12 November Lieutenant Colonel Newell was caught in an ambush following an 11-hour night attack. Narrowly escaping enemy fire, he left his tracked vehicle and personally assisted in the evacuation of a mortally wounded officer.