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 Captain Phillip A. Kornachuk, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against an armed hostile force while serving as a Detachment Commander, Operational Detachment Alpha 1314 (ODA-1314), Special Operations Task Force-West, Heart Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, on 6 March 2010. Captain Kornachuk distinguished himself by personally destroying multiple entrenched enemies, leading United States Special Forces and Afghan Commandos for over ten hours in constant fighting while continually disregarding his own safety and accurately and devastatingly engaging insurgents closing in on his position and the patrol. 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, Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, and the United States Army.