Another hero of Afghanistan’s notorious Combat Outpost Keating will have his Silver Star elevated to the military’s second highest award for valor, according to a release from the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
Maj. Tom Bostick was serving as commander of B Troop, 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade when he was killed in action during the Battle of Saret Koleh in July 2007.
On March 1, he will be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in a ceremony at Fort Carson, Colorado.
Bostick was killed while providing covering fire for his soldiers so they could move to defensive positions, according to his citation.
“He willingly sacrificed his life so they could live,” the citation reads.
“Major Bostick skillfully arrayed his forces throughout the battlespace. His keen insight in selecting positions for his observation posts enabled his Troop to defeat a numerically superior force that occupied a series of positions on dominating terrain overlooking [Military Supply Route] Stetson.”
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Bostick was a prior enlisted officer who served with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Panama and with special operations during Operation Desert Thunder, according to the release.
He was a platoon leader with 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment during the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom before taking troop command with the 173rd.
He is also the namesake of the Bostick Cup, which the 173rd began awarding to outstanding company-sized units in 2018.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
