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Army paratrooper from Utah honored for valor during Afghanistan evacuation

Army Sgt. Breanna Jessop, from Myton, was named the USO’s 2021 Soldier of the Year for leading a chapel and a makeshift orphanage in Kabul.

(U.S. Army) Photos of U.S. Army Sgt. Breanna J. Jessop who was named the USO Soldier of the Year for 2021. On the right, Jessop in seen holding a baby during evacuations at the Hamid Karzai International Airport chapel during August 2021 in Afghanistan.

Army Sgt. Breanna Jessop, from Myton, has been named the USO’s Soldier of the Year for leading a makeshift orphanage during the U.S. military’s evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan earlier this year.

As crowds of Afghans outside of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul vied desperately to escape from the Taliban, Jessop managed a chapel at the airport and created an orphanage that, according to the USO, cared for more than 400 unaccompanied child evacuees — some as young as days old.

“She not only protected the well-being of these children but also protected their dignity as human beings,” the USO wrote when naming the Utah native as their Solider of the Year for 2021. “Jessop displayed devoted and selfless leadership under duress, carrying out military operations as well as humanitarian efforts.”

The 23-year-old paratrooper and chaplain assistant first arrived in Kabul in mid-August, in the twilight of America’s decades long war in Afghanistan, Task & Purpose reported. The airport was mostly quiet when she first arrived, Jessop told Task & Purpose in an interview, but as conditions became more dire, children starting arriving to the airport unaccompanied.

Soldiers created the orphanage as a way to care for the children — a mix of actual orphans and kids that had traveled through the airport’s security without families — and while the military worked to evacuate the unaccompanied minors or reconnect them with families, according to Task & Purpose.

“We were just trying to cheer them up, keep them happy,” said Jessop during the interview of caring for the Afghan children. “Like I don’t know what you went through or how rough that was, it’s not something I could ever relate to, but I’m here to give you love.”

She was also commended for efforts as the noncommissioned officer in charge of the chapel and using “ingenuity” to make sure 4,000 coalition troops had basic hygiene items during their deployment to the airport.

Since 2003 the USO has recognized an enlisted service member from each branch of the military, nominated by their own leadership, for an act of valor.

“Whether it’s saving the life of a comrade or stranger or leading during a critical moment, these men and women proved their commitment to helping others in times of need. In doing so, they embodied the values for which the armed forces stand,” the Department of Defense said of each of the USO’s honorees this year.

But the Utah native was humble in her interview with Task & Purpose, saying she was only doing her job the best she could.

“I was just taking care of people,” Jessop said.