Cpl Michael J Schoepfer

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This is a personal post dedicated to my cousin, Corporal Michael J Schoepfer, United States Marine Corps.

Rest in Peace Michael John (12/26/1980 - 9/21/2019)

Here he is in Afghanistan in October of 2010, during Operation Enduring Freedom

US Marines Patrol Remote Part Of Helmand Province Near Kajaki Dam

Four months before that photo was taken, his performance on the battlefield earned him the ‘Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal’ for:

“PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DUTIES WHILE SERVING AS SQUAD AUTOMATIC RIFLEMAN, 3RD SQUAD, 1ST PLATOON, BATTERY 1, 3/2 1ST BATTALION, 11TH MARINES, RECIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM 2, 1ST MARINE DIVISION FORWARD, IN SUPPORT OF OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM IN HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN. CPL SCHOEPFER DEMONSTRATED TREMENDOUS VERSATILITY WHILE SERVING IN A PROVISIONAL INFANTRY MISSION. ON 5 JULY 2010, HE ENGAGED THE ENEMY AT OVER 1500 METERS WITH MEDIUM AND HEAVY MACHINE GUNS, AND ADJUSTED THE PLACEMENT OF 81MM ILLUMINATION AND HIGH EXPLOSIVE MORTAR ROUNDS, WHICH ULTIMATELY LEAD TO 2 ENEMY KILLED IN ACTION AND 2 WOUNDED IN ACTION, TO INCLUDE A TALIBAN COMMANDER. CPL SCHOEPFER WAS ONE OF ONLY EIGHT MARINES IN THE BATTERY TO QUALIFY IN THE USE OF THE 81MM MORTAR SYSTEM. HIS PROFICIENCY IN AN ADDITIONAL SPECIALTY FIELD ALLOWED HIM TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY WITH OVER 10 HE ROUNDS AND OVER 70 ILLUMINATION ROUNDS IN SUPPORT OF BATTERY PATROLS, COUNTER IED OPERATIONS, AND JOINT OPERATIONS WITH THE AFGHANISTAN UNIFORMED POLICE. CPL SCHOEPFER’S INITIATIVE, PERSEVERANCE AND TOTAL DEDICATION TO DUTY REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIM AND WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE MARINE CORPS AND THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.”