Courtesy of the Department of Defense and Gunnery Sgt. Alexis Mulero
Longtime Naperville, resident Maj. Michael M. Hoffman was presented the Bronze Star Medal during a ceremony at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story, Va., March 2. Hoffman was presented this award for meritorious service in connection with combat operations against the enemy while serving as the operations officer for Battalion Landing Team Third Battalion, Eight Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 8, Second Marine Division (FWD), Second Marine Expeditionary Force (FWD) Afghanistan from December 2010 – May 2011 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
This is the second Bronze Star Medal Hoffman has received during his career, according to the Dept. of Defense.
According to the award citation:
"Hoffman orchestrated the equipping, training, and introduction of over 1,400 ship-borne Marines and sailors into a previously unoccupied battlespace with exceptional results. Initially working from Jordan, he reconstituted the Battalion Landing Team from amphibious shipping, coordinated pre-combat training, and helped acquire more than 350 million dollars in equipment to establish a 7th Marine Infantry Battalion in Afghanistan.
"Withstanding multiple improvised explosive device attacks to determine the situation on the ground, he developed a campaign plan that enabled security improvements to Route 611 and disrupted enemy operations in the surrounding area. In four months, his operational directives increased traffic along Route 611 from 59 vehicles per day to more than 700 vehicles per day, and dramatically reduced the driving time from Camp Leatherneck to the Upper Sangin Valley, from eight days to just 12 hours with zero casualties."
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