Fullbore Friday

You hear, "Improvise, adapt, overcome" on a regular basis ... but what does that exactly mean?

Sgt. 1st Class Richard J. Olson Jr., USA - over to you;

On Aug. 10, Olson and his Soldiers received a report that the Pul-E-Alam governor's compound was under attack by insurgents attempting to assassinate the governor of Logar Province. The team immediately went to assist the governor and other U.S. Soldiers already at the compound.

Upon arriving at the governor's compound, they found Soldiers from the Police Mentorship Team had already secured the area and ensured the safety of the governor, but they were still taking fire. Olson immediately identified the direction of the enemy fire and told his Soldiers to return fire.

After a vehicle-borne IED detonated directly outside the compound, Olson requested permission to assault the area. He moved with his Soldiers to assault the building from which they originally received fire as well as the location of the VBIED.

Olson led a group of U.S. Soldiers, as well as French and Afghan National Army soldiers to clear the first and second floors of the building. Olson then moved forward by himself and threw a grenade up to the third and fourth floors to clear the areas.

As they moved to the fifth floor, they encountered enemy insurgents and received fire. Coalition Soldiers and ANA troops worked together to fight the insurgents.

The group then left the building to allow the Apache helicopters that had been providing close-air support to fire upon the building. While the Apaches fired on the building, Olson duct taped two Claymore mines to two 15-foot poles.

After the Apaches stopped firing, Olson directed all of the Soldiers to move back into the building and continue to clear the area of insurgents.

"He (was) very cool, calm and collected," said Sgt. Christine Hein, a human resources noncommissioned officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd BCT, of Olson's leadership during the firefight. "Never once (did) I doubt his leadership abilities."

With the insurgents still on the fifth floor, Olson put his Claymore-poles to good use. With the help of an airman, he located one of the insurgents and detonated the Claymore next to him.

Olson then led an assault on the fifth floor and cleared the rest of the building, including the roof.

Grab a pole, a claymore and probably a bit of mil-spec duct tape ... and there you go.

Best. Stick. Puppet. Ever.

BZ Olsen. BZ.