The Battle
October 2, 2012 | Kapisa, Afghanistan
2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment
Then-2nd Lt. Nicholas Dockery distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifle platoon leader with Company C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
On the morning of Oct. 2, 2012, Dockery’s platoon left Forward Operating Base Tagab in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan, to provide security for a meeting between U.S. and Afghan leaders. The enemy presence in the area consisted of an estimated 150 Taliban fighters split between two valleys. As the meeting ended, approximately two squads of Taliban fighters emerged from a mosque armed with crew-served weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles.
The Taliban fighters concentrated their fire on several Afghan National Army and National Police units, fixing them in place.
Without regard for his own safety, Dockery dismounted his vehicle and moved through the engagement area under heavy rifle and machine-gun fire to support the Afghan forces. As he directed fire on the enemy, he reestablished communications with his command, who gave him guidance to eliminate the hostile threat. The maze of building structures prevented support from vehicles or aerial assets, forcing Dockery to formulate an audacious plan to enter the village.
As Dockery cleared the way to secure the outer cordon of the village, one team of five U.S. Soldiers came under heavy fire from Taliban fighters to the northeast. The team fought across open terrain and forced the remaining enemy inside a compound. Dockery then maneuvered back across 250 meters of open terrain into the village to seek reinforcements.
Early in the fight, Taliban fighters attacked his forward element, critically wounding one Soldier. The heavy volume of fire divided the team in half and forced three Soldiers into the compound for immediate cover. Once inside, the Soldiers discovered seven Taliban fighters within the compound. Surrounded and outnumbered, the Soldiers radioed for support.
Dockery followed the sound of the gunfire and ran through enemy machine-gun fire, leading reinforcements to the compound. Once inside, he ensured the wounded were stable and orchestrated a plan to clear the enemy from the compound. He led a team in breaching six rooms inside the multilevel compound.
During the assault, Dockery’s team killed one enemy, uncovered bomb-making material and detained an additional two enemies hiding in the last room. As he cleared the south section, his element came under intense fire. The Taliban fighters began tossing fragmentation grenades over the walls.
U.S. Army Soldiers with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at the Korengal Outpost, fire mortar rounds at insurgent fighting positions in Kunar province, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Matthew Moeller.
One grenade landed in front of Dockery and another Soldier. Dockery shoved his fellow comrade behind cover before it exploded, saving the Soldier from wounds or death.
Dockery’s element then came under heavy Taliban machine-gun fire positioned less than 15 feet away. Dockery exposed himself and provided suppressive fire, which allowed another Soldier to neutralize the enemy with a hand grenade. Dockery continued to lead the element forward to flank the enemy. As they breached a barricaded gate, seven enemy fighters ambushed them from 40 feet away. As the enemy attacked with greater ferocity, Dockery directed the fight until a rocket-propelled grenade destroyed their remaining cover.
Disoriented and vomiting as a result of the blast, Dockery made it to cover only to realize two of his Soldiers were missing. Without regard to the ongoing fire or the close proximity of the enemy, Dockery moved back into the alley to search for his missing comrades. He picked one wounded Soldier up and moved him back from the gunfire. He spotted two enemy fighters moving toward the second Soldier, who lay motionless in the middle of an alley.
Dockery sprinted forward, returning fire and killing the enemy. As Dockery picked up the Soldier to bring him to safety, he dislocated his own shoulder. At that point, he realized the Soldier was not breathing. Dockery began administering aid, which saved the Soldier’s life. At the same time, he directed his forward observer to call in an 81-mm mortar fire mission. As the rounds impacted, Dockery shielded the wounded Soldier with his own body.
The U.S. element also attempted to call in rotary-wing assets. However, the high canopy prevented pilots from differentiating friendly from enemy forces. Dockery left the safety of cover and used a grenade launcher to mark the enemy location for Kiowa helicopters to engage with rockets. Seeing two enemy fighters attempting to reenter the building, he shot and neutralized them with the grenade launcher.
Aerial assets continued to have difficulty verifying the location of friendly elements. Dockery ran past an unexploded enemy grenade and climbed onto a roof to mark their location with colored smoke, allowing Kiowa helicopters to identify them. The colored smoke attracted heavy rifle and machine-gun fire from the enemy. With only a 2-foot wall for cover, Dockery held the rooftop for over 30 minutes and fixed the enemy in place.
During the exfiltration, his team again came under heavy fire. Dockery voluntarily stayed behind to provide covering fire, allowing the wounded to move across an open field. As the enemy closed in on their location, he volunteered to stay behind again to ensure the wounded made it safely back to the casualty evacuation point. Moving about the battlefield, he directed the Afghan army soldiers to fire five rocket-propelled grenades at the enemy, halting their final attack.
Dockery did not leave the village until all the wounded were safely in a vehicle. Over the course of four hours, Dockery’s unwavering courage, selflessness and aggressive leadership under extreme enemy fire were instrumental in the confirmed deaths of at least a team-sized element of Taliban fighters. Dockery’s ability to repel multiple enemy attacks was the deciding factor that saved the lives of his fellow American and Afghan soldiers on the ground. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism, valor, intrepidity and gallantry, and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.
