Army Sgt. Svitak was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Svitak was killed while on a rescue mission during Operation Anaconda on Takur Ghar Mountain in eastern Afghanistan. An intense battle took place at the enemies' snowy mountain hideout as two twin-rotor troop-carrying helicopters came under attack. The enemy used machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Philip entered the Civil Air Patrol in 1983 and worked through the ranks to the position of Flight Officer. He was awarded the highest award in the Civil Air Patrol, the General Billy Mitchell Award, in 1988. He graduated from Fremont High School in 1989 and joined the Army the same year. In 1994, Philip was honorably discharged but he missed the military life so he re-enlisted in the Army in 1998. This time, he wanted to do something different; he wanted a challenge so he went into Special Forces and became a Night Stalker. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (1OLC), Army Achievement Medal, Aircraft Crewmember Badge, Army Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), and the National Defense Service Medal. Philip was an only child and his parents remember how he did everything right, had no bad habits, loved his country and his family. He had dreamt of military service since he was a child and often wore military greens, including camouflage. If you wanted to make him happy at Christmas time, you got him OD (olive drab) green.
Army Sgt. Svitak was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Regiment, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Svitak was killed while on a rescue mission during Operation Anaconda on Takur Ghar Mountain in eastern Afghanistan. An intense battle took place at the enemies' snowy mountain hideout as two twin-rotor troop-carrying helicopters came under attack. The enemy used machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Philip entered the Civil Air Patrol in 1983 and worked through the ranks to the position of Flight Officer. He was awarded the highest award in the Civil Air Patrol, the General Billy Mitchell Award, in 1988. He graduated from Fremont High School in 1989 and joined the Army the same year. In 1994, Philip was honorably discharged but he missed the military life so he re-enlisted in the Army in 1998. This time, he wanted to do something different; he wanted a challenge so he went into Special Forces and became a Night Stalker. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal (1OLC), Army Achievement Medal, Aircraft Crewmember Badge, Army Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait), Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), and the National Defense Service Medal. Philip was an only child and his parents remember how he did everything right, had no bad habits, loved his country and his family. He had dreamt of military service since he was a child and often wore military greens, including camouflage. If you wanted to make him happy at Christmas time, you got him OD (olive drab) green.
