Special Forces soldier awarded distinguished service cross.(UPDATE)

A Soldier from the 7th Special Forces Group was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during a ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., April 30 for valorous actions during Operation Enduring Freedom.

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In his 20th year of military service, Master Sergeant Brendan O'Connor, formerly a senior medic in the 2nd Battalion, 7th SF Group, was presented the award while he stood before family, friends and fellow Soldiers.

"For the men who were with him that day, Master Sergeant O'Connor is a savior," said Admiral Eric T. Olson, commander of the United States Special Operations Command. "For all Americans, he is a hero, and for all members of special operations across the services, he is a source of enormous pride."

O'Connor was instrumental in keeping his team alive during an intense battle with more than 250 Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan on June 22, 2006. While making a temporary stop during a patrol, his team and their attached Afghan National Army soldiers were attacked from all sides with small-arms fire, heavy machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, recoilless rifles and mortars.

During the 17 1/2 hours of sustained combat that followed, O'Connor and his team fought off wave after wave of Taliban attackers from a group of small compounds, fighting for their lives against insurgents who were intent on killing or capturing ...