MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- When Sgt. Jonathon Novak completed drill instructor school and took on his first platoon of recruits, he knew what was important to stress to them during the training cycle - discipline. He had seen first hand in combat what can happen when discipline slips even for a moment.
Distinguishing himself in combat, Novak, a drill instructor with Platoon 1085, Charlie Co., 1st RTBn., recently received the Navy Commendation Medal with a "V" for valor at the Drill Instructor Monument.
After his award was bestowed upon him, the humble Novak reflected on his experiences and what the award means to him.
While serving as the section leader for an obstacle clearing detachment with Mobility/Counter-Mobility Platoon, 2nd Assault Amphibian Bn., Regimental Combat Team-1, 1st Marine Division, during numerous engagements in Iraq from March 20 - April 20, Novak and his Marines could be found in many serious scrapes. So much so that some of his fellow Marines nicknamed his Assault Amphibious Vehicle, "The Bullet Magnet."
On April 7, 2003, his sections responsibility was to provide security for a bridge layer south of the Saddam Canal, approximately 13 kilometers east of Baghdad, Iraq.
He was involved with several missions under extreme duress, and though the actual skirmish lasted about 45 minutes to an hour, those events stood out in his mind.
"It just happened, like that," he exclaimed, snapping his fingers.
When Novak and his section arrived at the canal, he deployed his engineers and established security. The engineers then began their breach of the fence on the near side of the canal. During this action, they began to receive small arms fire from the far side of the canal.
Recalling a mental picture and using his hands to convey the positions along the canal, Novak described the situation.
"I was looking over [the far side of the canal] and I saw some pillboxes and a couple of bunkers and I told my driver, 'that doesn't look right,'" he said. "My driver was looking at me and I thought to myself, that just doesn't look safe."Then, some of the engineers got out and they began to take on fire so we opened up on the bunkers, he added.
Employing his weapons and suppressing the enemy on the far side of the canal allowed the engineers to breach the fence. The bridge layer moved into position and the far side erupted with direct and indirect fire.
"You are stunned for a second because they [rounds] are whizzing right past your head," said Novak, "but then you start laying down fire."
After silencing one machine gun position, Novak noticed the engineers that conducted the breach were now pinned down. Acting independently, he maneuvered his AAV to their position and provided suppressing fire allowing them to escape harm. He then turned his guns on the second gun position aiding in the bridge layer to complete its mission. Though his AAV was hit numerous times by direct fire, Novak never decreased the amount of suppression fire, thus having a direct effect on the canal being bridged and the 1st Marine Regiment crossing the canal.
According to the citation, in the face of stiff resistance, Novak remained calm and poised and set an example that brought assurance to his Marines during moments of chaos, while ensuring the destruction of numerous enemy positions. This directly affected the successful bridging of the Saddam Canal that would facilitate Regimental Combat Team- 1's movement into Baghdad.
Always the Marine, a self-effacing Novak proclaimed, "If it were up to me, this should be given to everybody because I didn't do anything that they didn't do."
Though he is modest about his accomplishment as most Marines are, he will still look to instill some of those qualities in his recruits.
"It is invaluable for us to have a Marine of his caliber and experience, having first hand exposure to guiding, mentoring and training recruits to become United States Marines," said Captain Charlie Fretwell, Charlie Co. commander. "There are plenty of times where the drill instructors have the opportunity to do what we call 'hip-pocket' classes with recruits. In those 'hip-pocket' classes he can talk directly to them regarding his experiences in Iraq or in the Fleet Marine Force."
Though he is in his first cycle as a drill instructor, he has already found ways to integrate the lessons he learned in Iraq into his everyday life as a drill instructor.
"It all comes back to discipline," said the war veteran. "Everyday when the bullets are coming at you, you have to run at them, where most people would run away from them."
Novak tries to stress discipline in his job so that mistakes that he saw in the field will not happen to the recruits that he has trained.