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 Staff Sergeant Emmett W. Spraktes, United States Army, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, Task Force PALEHORSE, on 17 July 2009, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Staff Sergeant Spraktes, while under intense enemy fire and without regard for his own life, was hoisted into a hot LZ. While on the ground, he personally secured and treated five casualties for medical evacuation while continuing to receive precision small arms fire. Staff Sergeant Spraktes stayed in direct harms way until all five casualties were evacuated before being extracted himself. His courage and devotion, beyond the call of duty, directly reflects great credit upon himself, Task Force PALEHORSE, 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
On 17 July 2009, 3d Platoon, Charlie Company (3/C), 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry, was on a dismounted patrol to deny Anti-Afghan Forces freedom of movement near Pun Sar Ridge, Watapur Valley in the Kunar Province, Afghanistan. During their movement an armed Taliban enemy attacked with heavy volumes of RPT, machine gun, and small arms fire from 200 meters away on an elevated fighting position. 3/C took three casualties and a MEDEVAC request was called. Staff Sergeant Emmett Spraktes was the Flight Medic for Dustoff 24. He risked his life by volunteering to be lowered through effective enemy fire to the dismounted patrol’s casualty collection point (CCP). While on the ground, Staff Sergeant Spraktes treated and prepared three casualties for hoist, all while receiving persistent small arms and automatic weapons fire from approximately 150 meters away. Staff Sergeant Spraktes prepared and hoisted one urgent surgical casualty while remaining on the ground with the patrol to assess the remaining casualties. When the aircraft returned for a second hoist, Staff Sergeant Spraktes attached himself and two other priority casualties to the jungle penetrator. The aircraft attempted to bring the casualties up but the hoist did not have the power to lift the weight. With complete disregard for his own life, while still under effective enemy fire, Staff Sergeant Spraktes selflessly asked to be lowered back to the ground, unhooked himself from the jungle penetrator, and allowed the priority casualties to be evacuated. While on the ground waiting for the aircraft to return, Staff Sergeant Spraktes worked with the platoon medic to check each of 3/C’s Soldiers and determined that two other Soldiers would need to be medically evacuated due to heat exhaustion. Continuously refusing to leave the remaining patients, Staff Sergeant Spraktes returned fire with his M4 at enemy positions and passed his remaining ammunition to other Soldiers in the patrol. When the aircraft returned to the CCP, Staff Sergeant Spraktes rigged both heat casualties for extraction and then volunteered to stay and leave the area dismounted with 3/C’s patrol. Dustoff 24 made one more return trip to pick up Staff Sergeant Spraktes prior to leaving the area, but not at the medic’s request. Without a doubt Staff Sergeant Spraktes single-handedly prevented the loss of Soldiers’ lives. His selfless assumption of risk shifted the momentum of 3/C’s fight.