Brad Colbert (born July 25, 1974) is a retired United States Marine, whose platoon's role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq was featured in a series of articles in Rolling Stone by Evan Wright. Wright was an embedded reporter who rode in the backseat of Colbert's vehicle during this time until his departure on May 4, 2003. Wright later expanded these articles into the book Generation Kill which was turned into a HBO miniseries of the same name in which Colbert was portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård.
Brad Colbert | |
|---|---|
 Colbert giving a speech in September 2012 | |
| Nickname(s) | Iceman |
| Born | July 25, 1974 |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1995–2016[1] |
| Rank |  Master sergeant |
| Unit | 3rd Recon Company 1st Recon Company 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Royal Marines Commandos 1st Force Recon Company Marine Detachment, Fort Benning GA Marine Corps Systems Command |
| Battles / wars | Global War on Terrorism |
| Awards |  Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (with 'V' device) |
Career
editA U.S. Reconnaissance Marine, Colbert was nicknamed the "Iceman" by his colleagues, for his ability to stay calm in battle and his overall military competency. During the War in Afghanistan, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for valor for his role in taking out an enemy missile battery.[2] In the Iraq War, his platoon, the 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion led by Lieutenant Nathaniel Fick, was often at the spearhead of the initial invasion, with his team, of which he was team leader, often on point.
For his efforts during the Iraq War, Colbert received a combat meritorious promotion to Staff Sergeant and went on to serve two years with the Royal Marine Commandos as part of an exchange program.[3] He was later promoted again to Gunnery Sergeant and served as the Company Gunnery Sergeant of H&S Company of 1st Recon.[4] He served two additional tours in Iraq and left the Reconnaissance community in 2010.[5]
In October 2012, Colbert was a special skills operations chief at the U.S. Army's airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia.[6] He was responsible for making sure that Marines who attend the program receive the necessary skills and meet their requirements. He regularly leapt from C-130s to reinforce proper jump techniques.[citation needed]
Military.com reported that in July 2016, Colbert was still on active duty as a project officer for Raids and Amphibious Reconnaissance at Marine Corps Systems Command. Colbert retired from the Marine Corps as a master sergeant on October 24, 2016.[7]
Personal life
editColbert was adopted into a Jewish family. He has been a speaker on combat related PTSD issues for the Heroes and Healthy Families organization.[5][8][9]
Awards
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| Combatant Diver Badge | |||||||||||||||
| Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia | |||||||||||||||
| 1st Row | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two award star & valor device | Army Commendation Medal | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Row | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with three award stars | Combat Action Ribbon with one award star | Navy and Marine Presidential Unit Citation | Navy Unit Commendation with two bronze stars | |||||||||||
| 3rd Row | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation | Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation | Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal four bronze stars | National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star | |||||||||||
| 4th Row | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Southwest Asia Service Medal | Afghanistan Campaign Medal with one bronze star | Iraq Campaign Medal with two bronze stars | |||||||||||
| 5th Row | Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Humanitarian Service Medal | Sea Service Ribbon with one silver and three bronze stars | |||||||||||
In popular culture
edit- In HBO's television mini-series adaptation of Evan Wright's book, Generation Kill (2004), Colbert is portrayed by the Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård.
References
edit- ^ "After Iraq, the Marines of 'Generation Kill' Regret Nothing". 25 February 2019.
- ^ Wright (2004), p.22
- ^ Wright (2004), p. 351
- ^ "Raider Report" (PDF). 1st Recon Bn Association. May 2008.
- ^ a b "'Iceman' aids others with post-combat stress". Marine Corps Times. October 14, 2012. Archived from the original on September 4, 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ Hall, Kuande (July 9, 2012). "Airborne! Taking a leap for a more capable Corps". Marines Magazine. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "13 Years After Iraq, the Marines of 'Generation Kill' Regret Nothing". military.com. 22 December 2016.
- ^ Young, Joshua (November 2, 2012). "I MEF Marines attend leadership awareness conference". Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "Hooked On Adrenaline - Part 1 - GySgt. Brad Colbert". YouTube. 18 February 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
Further reading
edit- Wright, Evan (2004). Generation Kill. Putnam Adult. ISBN 978-0-399-15193-4. OCLC 54826116.