by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - A special awards ceremony was held for the Guam Army National Guard's Task Force Guam, which recently returned from 9-month deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Commander of the 1st Battalion Infantry Regiment, Lt. Col. Michael Tougher presented hundreds of awards to our island's heroes and thanked them for their service and commitment.

Three awards were presented, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal.
29 Army Achievement Medals were awarded for outstanding achievement or meritorious service.
468 Army Commendation Medals were awarded to those Soldiers who distinguished themselves by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service.

The Bronze Star Medal is the fourth-highest individual military award and the ninth-highest by order of precedence overall in the U.S. Military. Fifty-Nine (59) Bronze Star Medals were awarded for acts of heroism, acts of merit, or meritorious service in a combat zone.

The goal of the Army awards program is to foster mission accomplishment by recognizing excellence and motivating Soldiers to high levels of performance and service.