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 Specialist Raphael J. Collins, United States Army, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force while serving with C Troop, 1st Squadron, 32d Cavalry Squadron (Air Assault Reconnaissance), 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq on 16 January 2008 during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Specialist Collins’ heroic actions, while grievously wounded and under sustained enemy fire, were directly responsible for saving the lives of his team members pinned down by enemy fire and ultimately, the death of the enemy force. Specialist Collins’ bravery is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflects distinct credit upon him, the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Specialist Raphael J. Collins, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as a dismounted infantry scout in C Troop, 1st Squadron, 32d Cavalry Squadron (Air Assault Reconnaissance), 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq on 16 January 2008 during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM. Specialist Collins, part of an eight man team serving as the Squadron Aerial Reaction Force during a Squadron (-) Air Assault, was inserted to interdict six unidentified personnel attempting to flee the objective area during the Squadron’s initial Air Assault into OBJ Hood, approximately 13 kilometers east of the city of Balad, Iraq. Aerial observers were unable to identify any weapons in possession of the six personnel Specialist Collins’ team landed to interdict. The six men took cover in a clump of brush in a barren field furrowed with irrigation ditches. Unknown to Specialist Collins’ team, this clump of brush was also a weapons cache containing six AK-47s, numerous full 30 round magazines and at least two fragmentation grenades. Specialist Collins and Lieutenant Hanson ordered the six men to surrender and move out from the brush. The men did not come forward. Believing them to be unarmed, Specialist Collins’ team moved forward to the brush to physically detain them. The team was engaged at close range with automatic weapons and fragmentation grenades. The fire was so intense that the individual weapons of three of the seven members of Specialist Collins’ team were struck by small arms fire or grenade fragments. Two of Specialist Collins’ team members were struck by enemy fire immediately, both mortally wounded. The remaining five members of Specialist Collins’ team, including the team leader, Staff Sergeant McGraw, were pinned down in the open field by heavy automatic weapons fire. From a distance of about three feet, Specialist Collins was shot through the right shoulder with the bullet leaving an exit wound the size of a small fist. The impact knocked Specialist Collins on his back. His M4 assault rifle was also destroyed. Specialist Collins rolled backward from the enemy, rapidly realized that his team could be decimated in the open field and immediately, with complete disregard for his own welfare, stood up, assaulted directly into the enemy position firing his 12 gauge shotgun, killing two of the enemy. Specialist Collins’ valiant assault allowed Staff Sergeant McGraw to break contact and link up with Specialist Collins. Specialist Collins then guided Staff Sergeant McGraw to link up with three of the remaining members of his team. Once linked up, they called in gunship support, killed the remaining members of the six man enemy element, and began to treat and evacuate their own casualties. Specialist Collins’ heroic actions, while grievously wounded and under sustained enemy fire, were directly responsible for saving the lives of his team members pinned down by enemy fire and ultimately, the death of the enemy force. Specialist Collins’ bravery is in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflects distinct credit upon him, the Multi-National Corps-Iraq, and the United States Army.