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 Keith Smith, United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving as Intelligence Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3213 (ODA-3213), Special Operations Task Force-NE, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM XXI, on 4 January 2013. Sergeant Smith distinguished himself by heroically maneuvering without regard to his safety to a VBIED attack on DSP SHINWAR, Shinwar District, and Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. His actions of neutralizing three enemy insurgents, two SBIED bombers and one PKM gunner effectively saved numerous Coalition lives and further diminished the morale of insurgent forces. 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:
Sergeant First Class Keith Smith, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as the Intelligence Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 3213, Special Operations Task Force-Northeast, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. On 4 January 2013 at 0728, insurgent forces mounted a complex attack against DSP SHINWAR, Shinwar District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Insurgent forces initiated with indirect, SAF, PKM, and RPG fires from positions south and west of the combined Afghan National Army Special Forces (ANASF)/U.S. Special Forces (USSF) compound within the larger Afghan National Army base. This initial volume of accurate fires fixed the attention of both ANASF/USSF towers away from a larger High Profile complex attack (HPA). At 0730 insurgents fired accurate RPG volleys at tower two, enabling one suicide bomber to detonate himself on concertina wire creating an avenue of an approach for a Vehicle Based Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED). The VBIED was neutralized by US and Afghan elements and detonated prior to reaching its intended destination of the USSF northwest gate. The detonation created a one-meter wide opening within the gate allowing the suicide bomber to enter the compound. Upon hearing the initial volume of fire and subsequent VBIED blast, without regard for his safety, Sergeant First Class Smith sprinted 150 meters to the breach point in order to assess the situation. Sergeant First Class Smith immediately neutralized one SBIED insurgent within seven meters of the breach point. Without hesitation, Sergeant First Class Smith maneuvered toward the breach point and neutralized a second SBIED insurgent, killing him at the breach point and blocking the entrance to the USSF camp. A third insurgent PKM machine gunner attempted to effect entry through the blocked breach point and was subsequently neutralized by Sergeant First Class Smith. Sergeant First Class Smith’s decisive and instinctive actions saved the lives of countless Coalition personnel by single-handedly repelling two suicide bombers before initiation of their SFATS. Additional Sergeant First Class Smith’s heroic actions at the breech point effectively stopped insurgent momentum, allowing towers two and three to gain fire superiority and kill an additional four insurgents outside the main walls of DSP SHINWAR. 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.