(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 Staff Sergeant Jason Fetty, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with the 364th Civil Affairs Group, Joint Provisional Reconstruction Team KHOST, during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 20 February 2007, in Afghanistan. At the opening of a new medical center at the Khost City Hospital in Afghanistan, Staff Sergeant Fetty was working a security detail, on hand to protect the governor of Khost and several Afghan dignitaries. After spending 10 months working with locals building the center, Staff Sergeant Fetty noticed a man in a white lab coat who didn’t look familiar. He began going through his escalation of force commands: “Stop.” “Get down.” The doctor ignored him, and tried to grab him. Staff Sergeant Fetty wanted to fire a warning shot, but feared it would ricochet and hit the hospital or someone gathered in the crowd around it. Staff Sergeant Fetty was working with members of the 82d Airborne Division, who were new to the area. He realized that he was the only soldier in a position to stop what could be a suicide bomber from attacking the ceremony. Rather than shirking him off, he used the distance his weapon created between him and his attacker to his advantage. He slowly maneuvered toward a clearing between the hospital and the nearby administrative huts, away from the crowd. Assuming that the man was wearing a suicide vest that might explode at any time, as the struggle continued, Staff Sergeant Fetty recognized he probably wouldn’t survive. Clear of the crowd, he hit the man with the butt of his weapon, then fired warning shots at the ground near his feet. When the two broke apart from the scuffle, Staff Sergeant Fetty shot the attacker in the leg to subdue him. When the man got up again, the other soldiers, noticing the fight, fired on the attacker who exploded. Staff Sergeant Fetty took three steps before making a dive. The blast came as he hit the ground, peppering him with shrapnel in the face, leg and ankle. All that remained where he had struggled with the attacker was a big hole in the ground. By leading the attacker from the crowd, Staff Sergeant Fetty allowed for the evacuation of all medical personnel and dignitaries, which included the governor of the province, the primary target of the bombing. 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.