Staff Sgt. Brian Kirsch receives his Purple Heart for wounds sustained during combat in Iraq in December 2006. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — For more than a year, a small scar on the back of his neck and occasional flashbacks were all Staff Sgt. Brian Kirsch had to remind him of an explosively formed penetrator that tore through his Humvee on a patrol in Baghdad.

On Wednesday, the 26-year-old from Elgin, S.C., got a Purple Heart medal for the wound he sustained on Dec. 29, 2006.

In presenting the award, Brig. Gen. David R. Hogg, Joint Multinational Training Command chief, praised Elgin’s actions that day, which included taking care of more seriously wounded soldiers and helping recover his damaged vehicle.

Kirsch, who returned from Iraq in November and joined Grafenwöhr Training Area Range Operations in January, said he was attacked during a patrol in East Baghdad, where he served with 1st Battalion, 77th Armored Regiment.

At the time, the tankers were driving Humvees and acting as infantry attached to the 26th Infantry Regiment.

The bomb that hit Kirsch’s Humvee was hidden in a gutter.

It punched through the truck’s armor behind his head, sliced through the gunner’s leg and tore another soldier’s throat, he said.

Kirsch and a medic quickly attended to the two.

They placed tourniquets on the gunner’s leg, which ultimately saved the limb.

Both of the wounded men were flown back to the States where they are recovering, he said.

Normally Kirsch would have received his medal downrange but a paperwork delay meant it was held up until he got to Grafenwöhr.