Las Vegas soldier receives battlefield promotion for going above and beyond

On Jan. 1, Ellis received a rare battlefield promotion to sergeant.

"I’m still walking on cloud nine," the 36-year-old cavalry scout said in a telephone interview last week.

He is one of 700 Nevada National Guard soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry who has passed the midway point of a yearlong tour. They provide security for provincial reconstruction teams and conduct counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan.

Only eight of 25,000 soldiers in the region recently received combat promotions, and only 2 percent of 35,000 soldiers have received the honor in the past two years.

Ellis is humble about what he did to get a field promotion from specialist to sergeant.

"Most of it is doing my job," he said.

In the eyes of his commanders, though, on several occasions last year Ellis went above and beyond his role as a gunner and driver to protect other soldiers in Kunar, a province in northeastern Afghanistan along the border with Pakistan.

More than once he and his team came to the defense of troops in contact with militants in a dangerous part of the region.

But Ellis, who in civilian life is head of security for Americana 5 Inn and Suites in Las Vegas, would talk about only one encounter.

Early in the deployment, he was driving on a safety evaluation of a road in Kunar when his unit was attacked.

"It was small-arms fire and a couple mortar rounds," he said, describing how he kept his "eyes on to where the rounds were coming from and directed my gunner to that area to suppress the enemy’s fire."

Ellis succeeded in protecting fellow soldiers and ensuring that members of the reconstruction team would continue to be safe.

During the promotion ceremony on New Year’s Day, his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Stewart Brough, praised Ellis’ efforts on the battlefield.

"It’s a really good feeling when you get to stand in front of your troops and recognize one of them for being outstanding," Brough said at the time.

A requirement of battlefield promotions is that the soldiers must demonstrate the skills of the rank to which they’re being promoted.

With no military background in his family, Ellis moved to Las Vegas from Beaumont, Calif., in 2004 and joined the Nevada Army National Guard.

"I was unemployed and got a chance to get my life straight," he said.

Although they face combat situations, Ellis’ mood and that of his fellow soldiers is positive and focused.

"We’re all pretty much the same," he said. "We do our job every day, and we’re all very motivated and we keep that motivation day in and day out."

Other than being eager to see his wife and children in Las Vegas, Ellis said he is looking forward to having "an ice-cold beer" when he returns home.

Contact reporter Keith Rogers at krogers@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0308.