GREENVILLE'S HAMPTON AWARDED BRONZE STAR MEDAL
LSA Adder, Iraq – February 14, 2005 – After a year of exemplary service in Iraq,
Greenville-native Master Sergeant Donald Hampton of the SC Army National Guard’s
3rd of the 178th Field Artillery (FA) Battalion (BN) has been awarded the Army's
Bronze Star Medal.
Hampton and his communications section accomplished much during Operation Iraqi
Freedom II. With a daunting battalion task of keeping a “Sheriff” communications
network operating along the Main and Alternate Supply Route from southern to central
Iraq, Hampton admits "we had our work cut out for us this year. However," he jovially
adds "we worked together as a team and gotter done!" Hampton and his communications
team were also responsible for installing AFN Satellite systems and Internet service
at each of the battalion's strategic locations in their area of operations - a self-taught
task he feels "very proud of my men for accomplishing."
Hampton's supervisor Captain David Eldridge of Florence said of him "he represents
the excellence, spirit, and dedication of the ideal leader. His performance of duty
was absolutely outstanding."
MSG Donald Hampton is married to Gail. He has three daughters - Jenny, Amber and
Heather. Hampton is an employee of Drive Automotive Industries in Piedmont, SC.
He was mobilized for active duty in Iraq with his Lancaster-based unit on December
27, 2003. He and the 3-178 FA BN are expected to return to SC by the end of February.