A senior staff noncommissioned officer from southwest Kansas was awarded the Bronze Star last week for his heroic actions leading Marines after a 2011 ambush in Afghanistan’s Sangin district.

First Sgt. Bradley G. Simmons, Liberal, received the medal with combat distinguishing device during a Jan. 25 ceremony aboard the dock landing ship Rushmore. The amphib is deployed in the U.S. Central Command region with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton, Calif., according to a Marine Corps news story announcing the award.

Simmons, 34, who is serving as the sergeant major of Combat Logistics Battalion 15, was credited with leading a quick-reaction force against an ambush on a squad of Marines that killed two.

At the time of the ambush, Simmons was the company first sergeant of Company B, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8.

When enemy gunfire pinned down the squad on Aug. 7, 2011, Simmons ran from his vehicle, crossed an open road and directed his vehicle to fire toward the enemy soldiers. He dodged enemy fire to organize a fire team toward a nearby hill to outflank the enemy force, which was stopped by close-air support.