Marine Sniper Threw Enemy's Grenade Back

His team spotted by insurgents and forced to take cover in an abandoned compound, Marine sniper Joshua Moore went against his instinct when two grenades landed next to him, throwing one of them back at the enemy and holding off insurgent fire until help could arrive.Moore, at the time a Lance Corporal, was later awarded the Navy Cross for his actions.Moore was part of a scout sniper platoon during a mission in Marjah, Afghanistan, in March 2011, when insurgents targeted his team.

The Marines fell back to a nearby compound, but enemy machine gun rounds soon sliced through the air, wounding two of them. After taking cover, Moore felt two objects hit him in the back. When he turned he saw two grenades lying in the sand.

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Sgt. Joshua Moore receives the Navy Cross from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus during a 2013 awards ceremony. (Photo: US Marine Corps Cpl. Mel Johnson)[/caption]He reached down, grabbed the first grenade, and threw it back out the window where it detonated just a moment later. He went for the second but noticed it was covered in rust and was likely a dud.

The young sniper would later say that he was, “scared out of my mind, but I knew we had to do everything possible to get everyone home.” Despite the brush with death and under the continuing threat of incoming fire, Moore crawled from the building and held off the enemy until a quick reaction force arrived.[caption id="attachment_7779" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]

Sgt. Ben Edwards, a Marine Corps squad leader, crosses an irrigation system in Marjah, Afghanistan, on Nov. 27, 2012. (Photo: US Marine Corps Cpl. Timothy Lenzo)[/caption]He went to the north where the enemy attack was heaviest and began aiding the wounded and returning fire. He used an M4 with an attached M203 grenade launcher to suppress fighters where he could find them.The arrival of a quick reaction force and another sniper platoon allowed the Marines to finally gain fire superiority, evacuate the wounded and fall back to their patrol base.Moore was meritoriously promoted to corporal less than two months after the battle and was awarded the Navy Cross in Nov. 2013.“It’s an honor to receive an award like the Navy Cross. But to be honest, I was just doing my job,” Moore said after the ceremony.Since then, Moore has been promoted to sergeant and assigned as an instructor at the scout sniper basic course. He told Stars and Stripes that he often shares the story of the engagement with his students, but that he avoids talking about his medal.“That honestly not the important part,” he said.More from We Are The Mighty:This medic criss-crossed an IED belt for hours to save wounded RangersA Navy Corpsman Earned The Navy Cross For Ignoring His Wounds To Try And Save 2 Marines'Kilo Two Bravo' tells the harrowing true story of soldiers trapped in an Afghan minefieldWatch this medic recount how his squad leader saved his life in combat