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 (Army Award) to Technical Sergeant Tavis J. Delaney, United States Air Force, for exceptional gallantry in action as a member of the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, during a complex ambush while air assaulting into the Do Ab District Center on 25 May 2011. As a JTAC with Company C, 1-33 Infantry Battalion, Technical Sergeant Delaney routinely exposed himself to intense enemy fire in order to control close air support onto the enemy positions and prevent the overrun of the U.S. defensive position. His exceptional gallantry in action, courage, dedication to duty, and personal sacrifice directly contributed to the successful defense of the air assault force from an overwhelming enemy force, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers. Technical Sergeant Delaney’s gallantry and heroism during combat are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, C Company/1-33 Infantry Battalion and the United States Army and Air Force.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Technical Sergeant Tavis J. Delaney heroically distinguished himself by gallantry in action and extremely valorous actions in the face of the enemy of the United States, while assigned as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) for C Company, 1-133d Infantry Battalion, 2d Brigade, 34th Infantry Division during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. His gallantry under fire saved the lives of more than 64 Coalition Forces, and contributed to the destruction of more than 200 Taliban insurgents. On the afternoon of 25 May 2011, Technical Sergeant Delaney air assaulted into a Landing Zone (LZ) deep inside the steep canyon walls of Do Ab, Afghanistan, with a platoon from HHC/1-133d Infantry. The walls of the valley were rocky and nearly vertical and the temperature that day in late-May was already well over 100 degrees. The LZ erupted with enemy mortar, machine gun and small arms fire in an ambush by an estimated 400 Taliban, who had completely surrounded the platoon. Disregarding his own safety, he bravely stood upright in the LX in order to establish satellite communication, requested Close Air Support, returned fire on the enemy and directed the other members of his CAS team to work up targets and control the attack helicopters. His willingness to place himself in mortal danger to make that call, while heavy machine gun fire and RPGs flashed by his head was critically successful: his higher headquarters was now aware of the catastrophic turn of events and scrambled to get air support inbound. The enemy fire was coming from every direction; cover was scarce on the LZ, with mortar rounds landing all around them and tracer rounds splitting their formation. Technical Sergeant Delaney, made conspicuous by the radio-antenna bristling from his body, sprinted 50 meters across the LZ, determined the Afghan Army positions, then ran back across the LZ to talk the strike aircraft onto the enemy positions ringing their tiny LZ. The open position was a potential deathtrap for everyone, but the surrounding Taliban were deliberately hunting the man obviously exposed and raining bombs on them. While under fire, Technical Sergeant Delaney voluntarily risked his own life to identify the enemy positions and precisely direct CAS on them. After two hours of frantic survival fighting, his platoon fought its way north along a dirt trail in the narrow canyon, and took cover within two primitive mud huts and behind the short rock wall of a livestock pen. The fierce hailstorm of effective enemy fire continued, smashing into the walls, ground and rocks around Technical Sergeant Delaney’s feet. Even though he was repeatedly encouraged to seek cover like the rest of the unit, Technical Sergeant Delaney willingly placed himself in mortal danger time and time again, understanding that in order to pinpoint the enemy positions that had the platoon pinned down and control bomb after bomb onto the enemy he had to remain in a position where he could see the enemy. To save his fellow soldiers, he repeatedly sprinted back and forth between the huts and the sheep pen positions for the next six hours, exposed to frighteningly effective enemy fire from every direction. At one point, he rushed through the oncoming fire to the defensive wall where the Afghan soldiers were huddled, stood one up, loaded the rocket-propelled grenade for the Afghan soldier, roared at him to engage the enemy, then reloaded him with another rocket, all while tracer rounds flashed past his head and kicked up dust and rock around him. As the blazing hot sun began to set that evening, and the overwhelming enemy force attacked down the steep slopes, in close proximity to him and his men, Technical Sergeant Delaney placed himself in grave danger again and again in order to drop bombs DANGER CLOSE to friendly positions. Twice he guided high explosives onto the attacking enemy, who were in close proximity to his men. The explosions showered them with rocks and dust but broke off the nearly overwhelming enemy attack, and prevented the U.S. Soldiers from being overrun. Technical Sergeant Delaney’s gallant actions were distinctive and were so far beyond what could be expected of any man, voluntarily risking his own life over and over again for a period of more than eight hours in order to save his fellow brothers-in-arms. Technical Sergeant Delaney’s heroic efforts against a well-prepared enemy force were the difference between life and death for 63 of his fellow soldiers. His gallantry in the face of enemy fire and his leadership and courage under intense enemy fire directly contributed to the survival of his fellow service members and defeat of the insurgent ambush. Technical Sergeant Delaney’s gallantry in action is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflects great credit upon himself, C Company, 1-133d Infantry Battalion, and the United States Army and United States Air Force.