 On June 21 , 2006 , Monti served as the assistant leader of a 16 @-@ man patrol and leader of a weapons forward observer team tasked with gathering intelligence in Gowardesh , Nuristan Province , in northeastern Afghanistan . The team established a small base on a ridge to support a larger Army operation in the valley below . When the larger operation was delayed , Monti 's team ran low on provisions . The helicopter that brought supplies revealed the team 's position . 
