Lamonta caldwell biography of alberta

Retired Sgt. Maj. LaMonta Caldwell spent 31 years in the Army, deploying all over the world, but the 15 months he spent fighting in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley were the toughest test of his military career.

During his 2008 deployment with the Italy-based 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, he and his soldiers came under fire on a daily basis while struggling to improve their position in the rugged mountains surrounding the valley.

The unit lost eight men in combat, another 15 were wounded.

"What do you say when you come back and see their families?" said Caldwell, recalling those soldiers. "And they looked up to you?"

The first day on the ground in Afghanistan, Caldwell's unit suffered a startling loss when the son of the brigade sergeant major was killed in action.

That death hit Caldwell hard. The soldier and his family were friends.

"His dad was my brigade sergeant major, and he told his dad he wanted