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Jackson native honored at Army's All-American Bowl
Played in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, Jan. 5, the game featured high school all-star football players throughout the United States. Before the game, Little and other recipients of the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart marched in formation to the 50- yard line where a football player from the area they are currently stationed greeted them. Little was greeted by and ran off the field with linebacker for the Gateway Gators No. 45 Shayne Hale of Monroeville, Penn. During the game Hale signed to play for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. The 90 soldiers and their sponsored players were honored at several events during the week including a barbecue dinner, a rodeo and a formal dinner banquet. The banquet consisted of several VIP guests including: Nascar driver Mark Martin of the new DEI No. 8 Army car, Secretary of the U.S. Army Pete Geren, Vice Chief of Staff Army General Richard Cody, Command Sergeant Major Army Kenneth Preston and ESPN's radio host of the Mike and Mike Show - Mike Golic.
Sgt. Little received the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantry Badge for work done while training a company of 50 Iraqi soldiers and one Iraqi sergeant major. He is modest when asked about receiving the awards and states, "I was only doing my job. I love what I do." He led his trainees in the effort to retake Tal Afar, a city about 30 miles west of Mosul. Little and his crew survived two rocket attacks and participated in more than 75 combat patrols while in Iraq. Like many soldiers, he is frustrated by the negative impression many Americans have of the war in Iraq and urges people to speak to soldiers who have been there. "There is success coming out of there. It's slow. What the media reports is not wrong, but it's also not always the full picture."
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