before it was in place. had both bombs gone off as planned, who knows how many could have been killed. those are the lives flo helped to save. and we are honored that many of them are here today. brigadier general james mingus, sergeant andrew mahoney who was awarded a silver star for joining flo in confronting the attacker, sergeant 1st class brian brink who was awarded a bronze star for pulling flo from the road, specialist daniel valderrama, the medic who helped to save flo s leg, private 1st class benjamin sicor and eric who also served with distinction on that day. gentlemen, i d ask you to please stand and accept the thanks of a grateful nation as well. [ applause ]
before it was in place. had both bombs gone off as planned, who knows how many could have been killed. those are the lives flo helped to save, and we are honored that many of them are here today. brigadier general james mingus, sergeant andrew mahoney who was awarded the silver star for joining flo in confronting the attacker, sergeant first class brian brink who pulled flo from the road, specialist daniel valderrama, the medic who helped to save flo s leg, private first class benjamin seecor and sergeant eric hochart who also served with distinction on that day. gentlemen, i d ask you to please stand and accept the thanks of a grateful nation as well. [applause]
we will, of course, carry that very important ceremony not just for this young man but for the so many others, men and women, who serve this country and for all of us who have the opportunity to get a glimpse of this event. but right now i also want to turn to some breaking news in the war against isis. a major offensive launched in iraq today that includes intense u.s.-led airstrikes, the aim to retake the isis-held town of sinjar. that s in northern iraq. the terror group overran that town last year. reportedly killing and enslaving thousands. these were the images coming into the world last year. the down s yazidi residents fleeing by the thousands. officials say today s offensive includes a force of some 7,500 kurdish fighters. they attacked from three sides, that after u.s.-led coalition warplanes pounded the area overnight. let me bring in congresswoman and iraq war combat veteran gabbert of hawaii. she serves on both the house armed services and foreign affairs commi
of mosul in iraq and rah ca in syria. jon: benjamin hall is live in loan london london with more for us. this was these massacres which finally persuaded president obama to act against the terrorist group, so today s operation is strategic and symbolic. the operation began this morning at about 6:50 local time as seven and a half thousand peshmerga troops sported by supported by u.s. a airstrikes started their assault. there are also unconfirmed reports that u.s. special forces on the ground are helping to call in and confirm airstrikes, though the pentagon says they re nowhere near the front lines. sinjar city sits on a highway 47 which allows isis to move troops easily. it s one of the biggest cities the kurds lost, but it was the yazidis who suffered the most as isis set about massacring whole villages and enslaving women and children. i was at the front lines of sinjar city earlier this year, and what i learned then still applies today. there are two major difficult