On August 3, 2006, while serving with the National Support Element to Operation ARCHER Rotation 1, Lieutenant Thorlakson led a convoy to recover two battle-damaged light armoured vehicles. While fighting continued in the vicinity of the damaged vehicles, he observed a suspicious vehicle approaching his convoy and attempted to wave it off while alerting the soldiers under his command. When the vehicle accelerated towards them, he fired, forcing the vehicle to detonate 30 metres from the convoy. Lieutenant Thorlakson’s actions saved soldiers under his command from serious injury or death and preserved recovery assets essential to the mission.