The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Staff Sergeant Kolby T. Evans, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States while serving as an Assault Team Member of a Joint Task Force on 6 July 2013 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan. On this date, Staff Sergeant Evans’ unit was inserted by helicopter at a compound where a high value target was suspected to be hiding. Upon reaching the compound, he led his team to the predesignated position. Along the way. Staff Sergeant Evans spotted an enemy exiting a building and maneuvering towards another friendly element. He immediately engaged and neutralized the threat to his comrades ensuring his fellow Soldiers could reach their objective. Having reached his objective, the team came under small arms fire from a barricaded position. Again Staff Sergeant Evans exposed himself to and engaged the enemy, thus allowing his team to move into the compound. As his team and Coalition Forces engaged the enemy, Staff Sergeant Evans continually placed himself in harms way to protect wounded comrades, to throw grenades at the barricaded enemy, and, only after partially destroying the building the enemy was located in, did he place direct fire on the enemy. Having moved to a different building in the compound. Staff Sergeant Evans positioned himself at the front of the team to breach the entrance to the compound. While attempting to breach the building, they came under intense small arms fire and at one point Staff Sergeant Evans sustained shrapnel injuries from a grenade blast. Nevertheless, he maintained fire on the enemy and again exposed himself in order to evacuate a wounded comrade to a position outside of the blast radius for the enemy grenades. Upon retrieving the Coalition Soldier, Staff Sergeant Evans and the team medic provided immediate first aid for the wounded man. Staff Sergeant Evans’ selfless actions effectively suppressed the barricaded enemy position, prevented additional friendly casualties, and ultimately led to the capture of a high value target in the area of operations. Staff Sergeant Evans’ actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Joint Task Force, and the United States Army.