(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 Chief Warrant Officer James Woolley, United States Army, for gallantry in action against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a Chinook helicopter of the 3d Battalion, 82d Aviation Regiment (Task Force Talon), 82d Airborne Division, in action in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, on 4 November 2009. On that date, Chief Warrant Officer Woolley and his crew were called for a casualty evacuation mission in Baghdis Province, Western Afghanistan. As he and his crew approached the pick-up site, his left door gunner reported heavy tracer fire coming at them. Chief Warrant Officer Woolley and his co-pilot maneuvered to avoid the rounds. Once they were able to land, ground troops began loading five wounded Soldiers on the aircraft. Very quickly, the aircraft began taking more enemy fire. With less than a minute on ground, insurgents fired a rocket propelled grenade at Chief Warrant Officer Woolley’s Chinook. The round penetrated the nose, flew between the two pilots, and hit the flight engineer in the back of the head before coming to a rest inside the helicopter, unexploded. Chief Warrant Officer Woolley and his crew continued to take a barrage of enemy fire, but he directed the team to stay on ground until the last patient was loaded. Once the fifth patient was loaded, Chief Warrant Officer Woolley led the team out of the hot landing zone and back to a coalition base where the casualties could receive treatment. After it was determined that his aircraft was still flyable, Chief Warrant Officer Woolley made the decision to conduct a second casualty evacuation of several wounded and dead Afghan National Soldiers. Chief Warrant Officer Woolley’s 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, the 82d Airborne Division, and the United States Army.