First Sergeant Brad Kasal, USMC, is considered a living standard of esprit de corps and courage under fire. In November 2004 Kasal was part of Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, the armored fist of a light infantry battalion. After four months of ambushes, IEDs, and deadly skirmishes in Iraq, 3/1 was ordered into Fallujah to take the ancient city back from Al Qacda and the foreign fighters who had turned the ancient city back from Al Qaeda and the foreign fighters who had turned the ancient ôCity of Mosques" into a fortress. It was there that the ôThundering Thirdö entered into Marine Corps legend and Kasal into the Pantheon of Heroes for his actions during the most savage battle the Marines fought in the Iraq War.