The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pleasure in presenting the Soldier’s Medal to Sergeant First Class Charles R. Harter, United States Army, for heroism at the risk of life not involving conflict with an armed enemy during the conduct of an external ARTEP, 26 May 1983, at Fort Carson, Colorado. An exercise to test the response of the unit to chemical attack was to be conducted with the use of smoke, not CS. At approximately 1800 hours, Sergeant First Class Harter, as the OPFOR NCO, initiated the chemical attack by igniting smoke canisters. The unit sounded the alarm for gas and the unit members masked. An unidentified soldier popped a CS Canister. The canister ignited in a dangerous location, being close to a M-880 truck containing explosives and ammunition. The truck was appropriately labeled with placards. Six members of the unit were close to the truck and the CS Canister. Sergeant First Class Harter saw the CS Canister near the truck and personnel, and attempted to remove it from the area. In the attempt, he developed a hypersensitivity reaction to the CS. Sergeant First Class Harter went into convulsions in which internal injuries were sustained. These injuries required immediate medical attention requiring Sergeant First Class Harter to be airlifted to the base hospital for surgery. Due to Sergeant First Class Harter’s self-sacrificing actions, injury to other personnel and damage to military equipment was prevented.