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 Technical Sergeant Ismael Villegas, United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States near Bagh Khosak, Afghanistan on 24 September 2009. On that date, Sergeant Villegas was the sole joint terminal attack controller for his Army Special Forces Team during a 16-hour firefight. Sergeant Villegas was part of a three-man dismounted element clearing explosive devices from the road when the enemy initiated an ambush with a remote controlled explosive device. The explosion was followed by accurate and intense heavy machine gun fire from nearby high terrain. Quickly identifying that his team members were pinned down in the enemy kill zone, Sergeant Villegas under direct enemy fire, charged 200 feet across an open, un-cleared improvised explosive device minefield to a more effective support-by-fire position and immediately returned fire with his personal weapon. Voluntarily, without hesitation, and at great personal risk, Sergeant Villegas repeatedly exposed himself to direct enemy fire in order to suppress the enemy attack and protect his teammates. He coordinated targets with the command element, and continued to return fire himself while surgically and lethally executing fires on enemy positions using artillery, rotary wing, and fixed wing close air support. Sergeant Villegas gallantly suppressed the enemy, protected his team, and neutralized numerous enemy threats without any collateral damage. His heroic and aggressive actions, under direct fire, saved the lives of his teammates and ensured mission success resulting in a total of 32 enemy insurgents killed in action. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Villegas has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.
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Awards Received
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Silver Star
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Silver Star
Service:
United States Air ForceRank:
Technical SergeantBatallion:
21st Special Tactics SquadronAction Date:
February 6 – 24, 2011
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 a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Technical Sergeant Ismael Villegas, United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the United States near the Helmand Province, Afghanistan from 6 February 2011 to 24 February 2011. During this period, Sergeant Villegas selflessly and repeatedly risked his life during nonstop enemy engagements. When a friendly element was pinned down by hostile fire, Sergeant Villegas, with total disregard for his own personal safety, ran towards the vulnerable troops to gather intelligence on the insurgent fortified positions. Totally exposed to the barrage of enemy fire, he decisively utilized overhead unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed wing close air support to decimate the hostiles delivering a 14,000-pound bombardment. Sergeant Villegas volunteered for a patrol to conduct sensitive site exploitation where his element encountered another hostile assault of recoilless rifle and machine gun rounds impacting within feet of their position. After a Special Forces teammate directly beside him was struck by rocket propelled grenade shrapnel he laid down covering fire and moved to the wounded warrior completely exposing himself to the heavy enemy fire. Sergeant Villegas pulled his teammate behind a wall and placed himself between the adversary and his team as he provided additional cover fire. He controlled fixed wing close air support within 60 meters and danger close to friendly positions in order to disrupt the onslaught long enough for Sergeant Villegas and the rest of the patrol to fight their way out of the kill zone. Over the 18-day mission, riddled with ferocious trench warfare battles, Sergeant Villegas controlled 40 aircraft, delivering over 32,500 pounds of precision ordnance, resulting in 21 enemy confirmed killed in action and destroyed eight fighting positions and two communication repeaters. By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Villegas has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.