Sgt. Charles "Chuck" Ferguson of Moses Lake, Charlie Company, 1-161st Infantry, was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart Medal during his service in Iraq.

Ferguson received the Army Commendation Medal for his performance as a machine gunner while under heavy enemy fire last May. According to the official wording of the award, Ferguson was commended for his courage and initiative under fire and for greatly contributing to the successful removal of enemy forces from the Jisr-Diyala NAC advisory building.

On May 12, 2004, in the town of Jisr-Diyala, Iraq, Charlie Company received reports of enemy activity. As the Humvee he was riding in rolled by the NAC advisory building, Ferguson reported five visible enemies with weapons. Ferguson came under immediate and heavy enemy fire from machine guns and hand grenades; rockets were also fired at the vehicle.

Ferguson engaged the enemy gunner and suppressed the enemy fire.

During the firefight, Ferguson was hit with hand grenade shrapnel in his body armor. After his commander checked him for wounds, Ferguson continued to pour machine gun fire into the enemy stronghold.

In August, Ferguson found himself in yet another dangerous situation, though this time he did not come away unscathed.

Ferguson and the rest of the patrol he was on were returning from Charlie Company's area of operations. The unit had been engaged in a firefight for the past hour. Minutes later, as Ferguson and the rest of his crew on their Humvee were moving down one of the main routes to their base, an improvised explosive device detonated next to their vehicle. Ferguson was wounded in the face with shrapnel, slight burns and a concussion. He was evacuated to the 31st Combat Army Support Hospital, were he was treated for his wounds and released back to his unit at LSA Highlander, were Charlie Company is based at.

Ferguson was awarded the Purple Heart.