The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Corporal Robert L. Novak, United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as TOW Squad Leader, Combined Anti-Armor Team II, Weapons Company, First Battalion, Eighth Marines, Second Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force during Operation DESERT STORM from 24 to 27 February 1991. On 24 February, Corporal Novak’s platoon was the lead element of the Battalion as it continued its attack north of the initial encountered small arms fire, Corporal Novak, acting through his own initiative, directed his squad into firing positions and personally acquired targets. Within minutes, he destroyed an enemy tank, two armored personnel carriers, and a towed artillery piece that was in the process of displacing. On the evening of 25 February, Corporal Novak’s platoon was again screening forward of the Battalion when it encountered, at close range, six enemy armored personnel carriers. He directed his squad to firing positions and then began employing his own weapon, quickly destroying three enemy armored personnel carriers. Realizing his TOW missile system was out of ammunition, he used its thermal sight to adjust the fire of an adjacent vehicle heavy machinegun onto an enemy vehicle. Corporal Novak then observed a member of his squad whose weapon had malfunctioned. While under intense enemy fire, he ran to the aid of his Marine and assisted him in performing the necessary steps to correct the problem. Corporal Novak then directed the fire of the weapon onto an enemy vehicle which was subsequently destroyed. By his aggressive initiative, superior gunnery skills, and courageous devotion to duty, Corporal Novak reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.