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 Christopher Choay, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Squad Leader with Company C, 2rd Battalion (Airborne) 503d Parachute Infantry Regiment, 173d Airborne Brigade Combat Team, during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, at Zabul Province, Afghanistan, on 3 May 2005, while engaging anti-coalition forces near Baluc Kalay. Outnumbered more than two-to-one and subject to overwhelming fire, Staff Sergeant Choay led his men on a frontal assault through open terrain with little to no cover against a bunker and three well-fortified machine gun positions. Despite taking two casualties, he never ceded the momentum to the enemy and led his five remaining men to kill thirteen fanatic enemy combatants. Of the thirteen, he was personally responsible for killing eight. His individual initiative and unfailing courage under fire, despite overwhelming odds, not only eliminated the imminent danger to his men, but also allowed them to take and hold their objective, which was imperative to the Battalion’s success. Staff Sergeant Choay’s heroic actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan, and the United States Army.