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Army Reserve Spec. Scott Baird may never know the effects his initiative to streamline and organize ammunition and supply protocols within his division had during his deployment to Iraq. Though he didn't pull a comrade from a burning vehicle or defend his unit from a road-side ambush, his actions may have led to better prepared units in the field or ultimately saved American lives.
But what Spec. Baird does know is that someone recognized his efforts and, on Sunday afternoon, it resulted in the Army reservist of three and a half years receiving the coveted Bronze Star for service at a ceremony of the 786th Quartermaster Company at the Rex Hall U.S. Army Reserve Center in Provo.
Flanked by men and women in his unit and members of his family, Baird received one of the highest awards a U.S. serviceman can get.
Capt. Gregory Murphy, Baird's company commander, told the assembled Army Reservists that Baird is an example to them all.
"The Bronze Star is not given out lightly," he said. "It's a testament to the hard work of Spec. Baird ... It really says he's distinguished himself in ways that are just uncommon."
Stationed for one year at Forward Operating Base Q-West south of Mosul, Iraq, Baird worked on simplifying and improving the standard operating procedures of supply account points for ammunition and other materiel in his unit. His superiors noted the results of his ingenuity and sent him on a tour of the entire division to teach his counterparts at the battalion level the processes he had created.
"Ammunition is one thing the Army takes very seriously," Baird said. If he messed up something, it would have reverberations down the supply line.
Yet he downplayed his reception of an award that many career combat veterans never see.
"Generally, this award is reserved for combat-related actions and not usually someone of my rank. For someone in logistics to receive it, it's a huge honor," he said.
A customer service representative for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Utah in Salt Lake City in his civilian life, Baird said the honor is more reflective of the proactivity and resourcefulness of his fellow soldiers with the Montana-based 592nd Ordnance Detachment at Q-West than anything he did personally.
Lt. Col. David Schroeder of the 96th Regional Readiness Command, said Baird is the first person of his rank that he's ever heard of receiving such as distinction, an accolade that in the Army, is second only to the hallowed Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, and Silver Star.
"The Bronze Star is a huge deal," he told his soldiers. "This is someone who's an exceptional soldier."
Baird's parents, Robert Baird and Lois Baird, said though their son didn't serve in a combat role in Iraq, he made a difference for those he was serving with.
"Obviously we're very proud of him," Lois Baird said. |
