But according to Pentagon policy, she was not a combat soldier.
On July 29th, 2009, that policy collided with reality at full speed.
Three American soldiers were bleeding out in Kandahar. Their convoy had been ambushed. The margin between their survival and their deaths was measured in minutes.
MJ co-piloted the medevac helicopter moving toward them at maximum speed.
As the aircraft approached the landing zone, Taliban fighters opened fire on it directly.
Rounds punched through the helicopter’s frame. The windshield disintegrated. MJ registered the burning sensation before she understood what it was — shrapnel, driving into her arm. Then her leg. Blood soaked steadily through her flight suit.
She scanned her instruments.
Continue on the next page:
