The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Senior Chief Hospitalman (SEAL) ***** *****, United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as Naval Special Warfare Liaison Officer and senior medic to an interagency liaison team in Afghanistan during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 4 January 2002. Senior Chief Petty Officer ***** displayed extraordinary heroism and inspiring perseverance as a member of a 17-man combined U.S. and Afghani element assigned to conduct a special operations mission in southern Afghanistan. The element moved by vehicle convoy to their designated target and shortly after beginning the mission encountered hostile forces and tried to leave the area. The convoy had begun to move away when unseen gunmen from two covered positions on opposite sides of the road fired at the vehicles. Establishing communications between the elements, Senior Chief Petty Officer ***** learned a government agency detailee had been hit and was slumped over in his vehicle. Arriving back at their clandestine assembly area, Senior Chief Petty Officer ***** and one other detailee helped get the wounded man out of his vehicle and began administering emergency medical treatment. Soon, enemy forces arrived on scene and shots were fired on the medics who were now treating the gravely wounded detailee in an area exposed to enemy gunfire. Placing himself at risk to the small arms fire, Senior Chief Petty Officer ***** helped pull the injured man to a covered position and continued to treat him. From there, he maintained constant vigilance while attending the grave medical conditions of one man and later to the life threatening wounds of another. Senior Chief Petty Officer *****’s decisive actions following the ambush contributed significantly to the remaining team member’s safe return to their base station. By his daring actions, professional expertise, and loyal dedication to duty, Senior Chief Petty Officer ***** reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.