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 Master Sergeant Johnie B. Brewington, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving as the Team Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3141, Special Operations Task Force-East, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 6 April 2013. Master Sergeant Brewington distinguished himself when he realized that his element was receiving a large volume of effective fire from multiple sides and bounded through heavy enemy fire to push his element forward to cover. With complete disregard for his own safety, he repeatedly charged through a hail of enemy fire to ensure his operators were in the right positions, facilitate extraction of the pinned down element, and to recover the body of a fallen American. His superior tactical knowledge, leadership, and bravery under fire saved countless lives and facilitated the extraction of a killed American’s body from the engagement area. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, the United States Forces-Afghanistan, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Master Sergeant Johnie B. Brewington, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as the Operations Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3131 (ODA-3131), Special Operations Task Force-East, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. On 6 April 2013, Sergeant Brewington, ten other Special Forces Operators, a Forward Observer, a Combat Controller and two interpreters were sent into the Sono Valley to extract nine American advisors and their partner force, who were pinned down in a compound by over 100 Taliban and foreign fighters near Bar Ghunday Village, Shigal Wa Sheltan District, Kunar Province. By 0830 in the morning, the Taliban had surrounded the compound and were within 200 meters of the perimeter wall, engaging from elevated, fortified fighting positions with small arms, machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The ODA, serving as a secondary quick reaction force, moved to the mouth of the Sono Valley and were tasked to secure a casualty evacuation corridor and facilitate the extraction. Once at the mouth of the valley, the ODA realized their vehicles were not able to traffic the Sono Valley Road. The ODA initiated a four kilometer foot movement under heavy enemy fire to seize a tactically advantageous position to control fires and secure the casualty evacuation corridor. Once the ODA was within 400 meters of the pinned down element, the ODA was receiving extremely accurate enemy fire from the south and east. Sergeant Brewington, while maneuvering the ODA forward and ensuring that his Operators were in the most critical positions, bounded from element to element to ensure that the ODA maintained the tactical advantage. During every movement he was targeted and engaged with machine gun, rocket-propelled grenade and sniper fire from numerous enemy fighting positions. He continuously passed insurgent locations back to the Detachment Commander and corrected air-to-ground engagements, allowing the quick reaction force to continue advancing and exposing himself to a high volume of enemy fire. Realizing the need to secure a critical linear danger area in the evacuation corridor, Sergeant Brewington led an element that bounded east 50 meters through heavy machine gun fire from the north, south and east to establish a critical over watch position. Once the pinned down element began to bound through the linear danger area, the insurgent volume of fire increased and was concentrated on his position. Sergeant Brewington and a teammate bounded forward, again under heavy fire, to facilitate the extraction of the casualties who were approaching the linear danger area when he was struck in the back plate by a PKM round. With complete disregard for his own safety and as rounds were striking the stream bed all around him, Sergeant Brewington and his teammate moved across the linear danger area and recovered the killed American, who had fallen into the stream. His superior tactical knowledge, leadership and bravery while under a heavy volume of effective enemy fire certainly saved countless American and Afghan lives and facilitated the extraction of a killed American and a severely wounded Afghan Soldier from the Sono Valley. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, the United States Forces-Afghanistan, and the United States Army.