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 Jeffrey Bochey, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving as Operations Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3234 (ODA-3234), Special Operations Task Force-Northeast, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 17 January 2014. While under withering RPG, PKM, small arms, hand grenade, 37-mm. UGL, 82-mm. mortar, and PBIED fire, Master Sergeant Bochey continually exposed himself to additional danger by leading an assault on a fortified enemy fighting position and suppressing the enemy positions with multiple weapon systems in order to ensure the safe withdrawal of his team and partner force. 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, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Master Sergeant Jeffrey Bochey, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as Operations Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3234, Special Operations Task Force-Northeast (SOTF-NE), Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Combined Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan (CJSOTF-A) in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. On 17 January 2014, while under extremely effective insurgent small arms and PKM fire, Master Sergeant Bochey led a combined Afghan Local Police (ALP) Ð Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) assault element on a fortified insurgent fighting position. Approximately four to five insurgents occupied a fighting position engaging the friendly ground force with fixing, withering fire. After Positively Identifying (PID) insurgent fighting positions, Sergeant Bochey organized a four-man assault force consisting of two U.S. soldiers and 2 ALP, established support by fire positions, and made entry into the fighting position exposing himself to enemy fire multiple times. With complete disregard for his own safety, he led his assaulting element from the front which rallied the ALP to follow, and overtook the enemy fighting positions. During the same operation, after two days of being decisively engaged by a determined enemy force with effective small arms, PKM, RPG, 37-mm. UGL, hand grenades, 82-mm. mortars, and PBIEDs, Sergeant Bochey again willingly exposed himself to extremely effective enemy fire to cover the withdrawal of the remainder of the friendly ground force. From less than 200 meters, more than 50 insurgents engaged ODA 3234 and its Afghan allies with withering fire as the element maneuvered to the relative safety of a friendly training center. During a three and a half kilometer dismounted bounding movement where the friendly element took two U.S. Wounded in Action (WIA), one USK9 WIA, and one CMRG WIA, Sergeant Bochey placed himself at personal risk to provide effective suppression fires to allow the ground force to move to safety. With the mounted element critically low on ammunition and an enemy force maneuvering with great freedom, Sergeant Bochey left the cover of his vehicle to provide these critical suppression fires, placing himself at great risk for personal harm. Firing multiple weapon systems with great accuracy, his efforts were instrumental in stopping the reinforced and determined enemy from maintaining fire superiority and causing further casualties to the ODA and its ALP partner force. Sergeant Bochey’s 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, and the United States Army.