Specialist Gregory Water, the Medic traveling in the MRAP that was damaged, also received the Silver Star for his actions in this incident.
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Specialist Gregory Water, the Medic traveling in the MRAP that was damaged, also received the Silver Star for his actions in this incident.
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(Citation Needed) – SYNOPSIS: 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 Sergeant First Class Randy A. Shorter, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving with Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, in action on 30 July 2008, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan. On that date, Sergeant First Class Shorter, a mortar platoon sergeant, was part of a convoy returning to Forward Operating Base GHAZNI after an overnight operation. At about 1030 hours, when the convoy was 10 to 15 kilometers from the FOB, the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle in the lead was blown up by an improvised explosive device that severed the engine compartment and virtually destroyed the road. Almost immediately the stalled convoy came under fire from about 30 enemy fighters. The soldiers in the remaining three vehicles returned fire, while maneuvering their vehicles to shelter the damaged MRAP. Sergeant First Class Shorter sprinted across 100 meters through enemy fire and pried open the back door of the MRAP, finding the four soldiers inside wounded but alive. The gunner, Private First Class Worton, was on his back, and the .50-caliber machine gun had fallen on him, crushing the plates of his body armor and pinning him to the floor of the MRAP. Staff Sergeant Charles Porter had a broken arm and a broken nose, and Private First Class Paul Wind, the driver, had a severe back injury. Specialist Gregory Waters, the medic, suffered a concussion and head laceration. All of the wounded had trouble breathing in the smoky truck. While the wounded fought off the enemy, Sergeant First Class Shorter assisted Specialist Waters in treating the wounded while waiting for MEDEVAC helicopters to arrive. Sergeant First Class Shorter single-handedly carried one soldier 75 meters through enemy fire to a concealed position, then returned under fire again to assist in evacuating another casualty. His gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.