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 Sergeant First Class Chad M. Stephens, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as Platoon Sergeant with Company A, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Brigade, during combat operations against an armed enemy of the United States in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 24 June 2004, in Iraq. Sergeant First Class Stephens heroically and without regard for his personal safety, led his platoon in heavy combat with enemy attempting to control the city. After fighting through two ambushes, he led his platoon to a casualty collection point to treat the wounded. To evacuate the gunner of his wingman, Sergeant First Class Stephens crossed 50 meters in open terrain while small arms impacted all around him as he ran. He mounted the turret and pulled his soldier out of the hatch, then lowered him to the waiting medics as rounds impacted the vehicle and other soldiers drove to safety. He returned to his vehicle under continuing fire, reorganized the platoon and led the move to Forward Operating Base Gabe, fighting on as his Bradley was hit by a rocket propelled grenade and his gunner was severely wounded. Sergeant First Class Stephens’ courage under fire is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, the 30th Brigade and the United States Army National Guard.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Sergeant First Class Chad M. Stephens distinguished himself by gallantry in action on 24 June 2004, in Baqubah, Iraq. Company A, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment was ending its first month attached to the 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, located at FOB Gabe. The “Wolverines,” brought into the 3d Brigade Combat Team area of operations for additional firepower and dismounted infantrymen, were sleeping in tents just north of the city at FOB Warhorse due to lack of space at Gabe. Daytime highs were in the 120s with a low in the 80s just before dawn, with little or no recent rainfall. Baqubah is a city of over 100,000 with tens of thousands more in surrounding towns and villages. In June the enemy activity was approaching the highest level of intensity so far during OIF II, as the 1 July date for Iraqi sovereignty moved closer. Division intelligence predicted a spike in enemy operations just before and after the handover. 1/A/1-120 returned to Warhorse at 0322 following a four-hour mounted and dismounted patrol, passing 3/A as they came in. At 0526 3/A was ambushed as they paused to remove driver night sights. At 0610 1/A, let by First Lieutenant Matt Vross and Sergeant First Class Chad Stephens with their wingman BFVs led the movement south followed by the Headquarters section, conducting a battle handoff with 3d Platoon just north of the ambush site. An estimated 100 insurgents with RPGs, machine guns, grenades, daisy-chained IEDs and automatic rifles were waiting in several ambush sites. 1-1, command by First Lieutenant Vross was engaged first from rooftops and with IEDs. As RPGs impacted to the front and into the sides of the first BFV, Sergeant First Class Stephens was able to direct his gunner’s fire, successfully killing 6 – 8 insurgents on rooftops as they fired down on Vross in the lead BFV. 1-4, commanded by Sergeant First Class Stephens, as well as the other vehicles in formation, came under intense enemy fire from IEDs, RPG,s, and machine guns. Sergeant First Class Stephens directed his platoon’s fire as they assaulted south, through the ambush. The Headquarters section withdrew north to evacuate the company commander, mortally wounded by a large caliber weapon. This left 1st Platoon’s BFVs to continue the fight as they were tasked by 1/6 FA to head East toward the bridge over the Diyala River where a large concentration of enemy were reported by other units in contact. En route, the platoon was again ambushed from the rooftops of large commercial buildings and high rise apartments. Sergeant First Class Stephens’ wingman engaged an RPG team, but not before their rocket fired, eventually penetrating the turret and seriously wounding the gunner and several infantrymen in the troop compartment. The platoon moved to low ground vicinity near the river in order to assess their casualties. They immediately set up a hasty defensive position, while platoon medics went to work. Sergeant First Class Stephens was concentrating on enemy fire coming from nearby roof tops and the highway overpass when he heard that his wing man’s gunner, Specialist Dan Desens could not be evacuated out of the turret door, but needed to be pulled out through the hatch. Without waiting to put on his body armor (stored in the Bradley for mobility in the turret), Sergeant First Class Stephens removed his CVC and dashed off of his vehicle in the direction of the wounded platoon member’s vehicle as the now dismounted infantry squads engaged enemy from multiple directions. Small arms impacted at his feet as he sprinted over 50 meters, and then bounded up to the gunner’s hatch. Another platoon member joined him there, but quickly jumped to safety as rounds impacted the turret. Sergeant First Class Stephens remained exposed to constant fire as he pulled Specialist Desens out through the top and lowered him to a medic waiting on the side of the vehicle not exposed to enemy firing from buildings, moving vehicles along the road, and on the bridge just to their north. Sergeant First Class Stephens moved through constant fire back to his BFV to direct platoon fires while the Platoon Leader communicated with TF 1-6. The platoon moved across the bridge to the East to deliver their multiple casualties to waiting medical staff at FOB Gabe. Sergeant First Class Stephens’ BFV was struck by an RPG, knocking his gunner unconscious and wounding Sergeant First Class Stephens in the arm. Through the smoke and Halon gas he continued to fire from his position at multiple enemy locations, while attempting to revive his gunner, Staff Sergeant Rivera, who eventually resumed his duties with serious wounds to his back. As the platoon pulled to the gate of the FOB, Sergeant First Class Stephens oversaw the movement of casualties to waiting ambulances, only then did he return to his Bradley where the fire still burning on the turret was put out with a fire extinguisher. The rest of the 24th and into the morning of the 25th, Sergeant First Class Stephens rallied his Soldiers as they continued combat operations in Baqubah, to include raids on enemy strongholds. In the following weeks the 3d Brigade Combat Team reported a drop in all enemy contact in and around Baqubah. The estimates of enemy KIA by A Company range from 30 to 40, more if we count those killed by CAS later in the day using 500-pound bombs dropped on the building from which the last phase of RPGs were fired. At least one destroyed .50 caliber machine gun position was discovered by the unit clearing buildings partially destroyed by 25-mm. Sergeant First Class Stephens’ heroic act in pulling a mortally wounded Specialist Desens from his turret inspired the platoon to continue the fight and set an example for bravery that all Soldiers aspire to.