U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, commander of the

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kendall P. Cox, commander of the Transatlantic Division, pins the Defense of Freedom Medal March 31 in Kabul, Afghanistan, medal to Jacob West, 30, from Fayetteville, N.C., and John Keys, 52, from Fairbanks, Alaska. The medal is equivalent to the Purple Heart for who are killed or wounded in the line of duty, both of whom were injured when an improvised explosive device detonated while conducting a combined mounted and dismounted road improvement survey near Paktika province, injuring both and killing two U.S. service members, Navy Chief Petty Officer Raymond J. Border, 31, of West Lafayette, Ohio, and Army Staff Sgt. Jorge M. Oliveria, 33, of Newark, N.J, while serving on a Providential Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan. The medal symbolizes the extraordinary fidelity and essential service of the department’s civilian workforce who are an integral part of Department of Defense and who contribute to the preservation of national security.