Retired from the Army as of 1 October 2008. Currently working as a Government Contractor/Military Analyst on Fort Leavenworth, KS.
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Published in the Kansas City Star, Wichita Eagle & numerous other publications across the nation, 4 August 2011:
An Army veteran on Wednesday received the highest honor for valor that a soldier can earn for an act outside of combat.
Scott Shigley, who retired as a sergeant first class, received the Soldiers Medal in a ceremony at Fort Leavenworth.
The medal which was authorized by President Obama, is the result of Shigley and two others pulling victims from a fiery crash 17 June 2000, near Fort Knox, Ky.
When Shigley came upon the head-on crash, both cars were on fire. A witness shouted warnings that the cars could explode.
Shigley ignored the warning , and he and two other Soldiers went to help.
"The team then began working to extinguish the fire and extract the passengers trapped in the burning vehicle," said the award citation.
"He freed the driver and then noticed that there was an unconscious boy also trapped in the vehicle. The other Soldiers worked on extinguishing the fire while SSG Shigley protected the boy from any further harm," the citation said.
When emergency crews arrived, Shigley assisted in the boys rescue.
He received the award because of the "bold initiative, selfless service and personal courage in putting his own life at risk in order to protect others and serving as an example for all Soldiers to follow," the citation said.
Shigley has moved to the Fort Leavenworth area, where he works for Northrop Grumman at the Combined Arms Center-Collective Training Directorate.
Fort Leavenworth commander LTG Robert L. Caslen Jr. presented the award, which honors those who voluntarily risk their lives to shield others.
"I feel honored to receive this recognition, but honestly, under the circumstances at the time, myself and the others involved didn't do anything that any other responsible person wouldn't have done," Shigley said in a written statement. "I just reacted without thinking about it."
From Soldiers Medal Citation:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, 2 July 1926, has awarded the SOLDIERS MEDAL to:
STAFF SERGEANT SCOTT R. SHIGLEY
THE UNITED STATES ARMOR CENTER
FOR HEROISM: on 17 June 2000, while responding to the scene of a motor vehicle accident. Staff Sergeant Shigley was driving when he came across the scene of a head-on collision with both wrecked vehicles now on fire. He pulled over and immediately went to the scene where he noticed a bystander shouting for everyone to stay back for fear of an explosion. Staff Sergeant Shigley ignored the warning and approached with two other Soldiers. The team then began working to extinguish the fire and extract the passengers trapped in the burning vehicle with Staff Sergeant Shigley trying to pry the door open. He freed the driver and then noticed that there was an unconscious boy also trapped in the vehicle. The other soldiers worked on extinguishing the fire while Staff Sergeant Shigley protected the boy from any further harm. While the other soldiers put the inferno out, Staff Sergeant Shigley continued to stay with the boy and ensured he received no further injuries while trapped in the wreckage. He waited until emergency services arrived and then began to assist the rescue crews. Staff Sergeant Shigley displayed bold initiative, selfless service, and personal courage in putting his own life at risk in order to protect others and serving as an example for all Soldiers to follow. Staff Sergeant Shigley's heroic actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Armor Center and the United States Army.
Description On 2 December 2011, US officials handed over Camp Victory to Iraq after officials from both countries signed the necessary paperwork. There was no formal handover ceremony.
Camp Victory is the US Army base situated on the airport grounds. From Camp Victory near the international airport, it's about a 15-minute drive by Humvee to downtown Baghdad. Camp Victory is five kilometers from Baghdad International Airport. Iraqi workers are working on buiding up Camp Victory's brand new Tent City with a population 12,000 soldiers from dozens of nations, including the USA. In mid-September 2004, as part of an Army-wide effort to give its facilities around Baghdad friendlier connotations, Camp Victory was also given the Arabic name translation of "Camp Al-Nasr".
Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory is where the Army is now headquartered. Some of the villas were still being built as of mid-2003. Coalition hired construction crews around the lake to finish the job that Saddam had started. Military units use most of the marble-clad facility. An Australian army unit has one side of the palace's ground level and US Army legal officials have part of the second floor. A few soldiers also call the palace home. The soldiers -- 30 to a room -- sleep there, hanging their underwear and socks on the windows to dry.
Missouri National Guard members stationed at Camp Victory, Iraq, spent their July 4th holiday competing in a 5k run. The 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry of the Indiana National Guard, is responsible for ensuring that Saddam Hussein's former Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory stays in good repair and keeps its presidential charm.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said "amazing progress" had been achieved in Iraq during the past four to five months with the creation of city councils across the country and a national governing council. Briefing reporters at Camp Victory in Baghdad 05 September 2003, Rumsfeld said the next step for Iraq is to set a date for a convention to draft a constitution. He said the Coalition Provisional Authority intends to stay in Iraq only as long as necessary.
Mosquitoes, flies, and rats got the (combat) boot from the 714th Medical Detachment. Shortly after arriving at Camp Victory, the 10-member team from Fort Bragg, NC, which provides preventive medicine for V Corps, Combined Forces Land Component Command and Baghdad International Airport, went right to work. Investigating a rat-infested living area, they found rat droppings in dozens of locations, inside and out. They laid traps throughout the area and taught the soldiers there how to properly clear and reset them. In less than a week, nine rats were killed. During a typical week, a team from the 714th inspects living and work areas here for rodents and sets mosquito light traps around sites with large concentrations of standing water. Later, team members collect the light traps and refrigerate them to ensure all mosquitoes are dead.
The US Army is working on improving living conditions for the troops while Operation Iraqi Freedom progresses. One of the larger projects is the revamping of the Camp Victory base. The soldiers of C Company, 389th Engineer Battalion from Dubuque, Iowa clear the thick wild fields surrounding Camp Victory. The first thing that has to be done is to proof the land - clear and level the grounds scheduled for construction. Most of the land on Camp Victory is covered with wheat fields that need to be burned and trees that need to be torn down. The soldiers of C Company also have to clear the area of any possible landmines or improvised explosive devices on at least sixty acres. The 389th En. Bn. cleared the whole west side of BIAP (Baghdad International Airport). In October 2003 they were doing the same thing here. This is probably a bigger area. Next the soldiers level the ground and layout gravel for vehicle traction and to decrease dust levels from the fine-grain sand. This is necessary because the water tends to sit over the sand rather than soak into the ground. After the ground has been leveled, the job of construction will go to KBR (Kellogg, Brown, and Root). KBR will truck in modular buildings and install electrical wiring and plumbing. The buildings will be fully operational living, dining, and administrative facilities.
Iraqi contractors and American soldiers shared the heat, sweat and asphalt in a recent joint paving project at Camp Victory. The 94th Engineer Battalion, 130th Engineer Brigade soldiers teamed up with the Iraqis in mid-September to pave a 40-foot-wide road with 854 tons of asphalt in order to reduce traffic congestion in the center of the camp.
Camp Victory is home to the Pegasus Dining Facility and also sports a short-order grill, salad, pizza, sandwich and ice cream bars. A Burger King stand, operating out of two mobile tractor-trailers is located outside the Camp Victory's PX which offers a wide variety of products ranging from televisions, gas grills, A/C units, microwave ovens, women's thong underwear and condoms. As of June 2004, that Burger King had the distinction of being Burger King's sole Iraq location. In addition, the base offers Internet cafes, weight rooms and basketball courts.
The large man-made lake between Camp al-Tahreer and Camp al-Nasr was once stocked with fish as part of Saddam Hussein's private hunting reservation, and has since become one of the largest overseas American military bases built since the Vietnam War. Though the lake is no longer stocked, the 1st Cavalry Division soldiers stationed here have found that fishing season is still open. The division's fishing fanatics and amateurs who fish this lake received a boost when an Alabama sporting goods company collected hundreds of rod and reel combos and thousands of fishing accessories for donation to the soldiers. The gear started arriving June 2004 when the parents of 1st Lt. Kevin Black, executive officer for 1st Cavalry Division Headquarters Company, contacted Simmons Sporting Goods Co. of their hometown of Birmingham. When company officials heard soldiers in Iraq had a place to fish, they immediately donated about 20 rod and reel combos along with around 200 lures from their shop.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
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January / 2005
To Month/Year
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Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember SGM Thomas Liker
Memories Deployed to Iraq with 95th MP BN out of Mannheim, Germany in March of 2004 to March of 2005. Came back to Iraq again in November 2005 through November 2006 with 4th Infantry Division from FT Hood, TX as the Division Detainee Operations NCOIC for the Division PMO. Returned to Baghdad Camp Liberty.
