The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Colonel Kenneth E. Ray, United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while serving with the 711th Special Operations Squadron, 919th Operations Group, near Baghdad, Iraq, on 2 April 2003. On that date, Colonel Ray, MC-130E Combat Talon I Aircraft Commander, was tasked to provide ingress and egress aerial refueling to a Special Force helicopter formation infiltrating the Navy Sea-Air-Land team, Army Special Forces, and other government agents into the coveted Thar-Thar Palace, a suspected site of weapons of mass destruction and a vital intelligence node. Colonel Ray, commanding the unarmed MC-130E Combat Talon I, led a formation of two Combat Talons and a ten-ship rotary wing insertion package into the teeth of enemy fire. While conducting a helicopter aerial refueling mission, Colonel Ray’s aircraft and formation was directly engaged by three separate surface-to-air missiles. By single-handedly executing immediate defensive maneuvers to less than eighty-five feet above ground, Colonel Ray was able to defeat the deadly threat while simultaneously directing his formation out of harm’s way. Colonel Ray’s actions single-handedly averted a direct missile impact by less than fifty feet. Knowing the critical nature of the mission, Colonel Ray unhesitatingly risked his life and pressed the formation forward to an ad hock refueling location still inside the enemy’s threat envelope. While loitering at 250 feet above the ground waiting for the rotary wing package to arrive at the new location, Colonel Ray’s aircraft was engaged by a third surface-to-air missile. Displaying exemplary aerial skill and incredible poise under fire, Colonel Ray identified the launch, and immediately directed defensive maneuvers. With complete disregard to personal safety, Colonel Ray once again chose to press forward exposing his slow moving aircraft to the enemy and completed a harrowing second refueling. Enduring three separate missile engagements, Colonel Ray successfully led the formation through six aerial refuelings and provided over 30,000 pounds of fuel to ten fuel-critical helicopters deep inside enemy controlled territory. Because of Colonel Ray’s outstanding service before self and courage under fire, inside the lethal range of Iraq’s formidable integrated air defense system, national objectives were accomplished leading to the swift defeat of the former Iraqi leader and his Ba’athist Regime. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Colonel Ray has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.