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 Christopher D. Coray, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action as a Ranger Fire Team Leader for a Joint Task Force in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. On 27 April 2011, Sergeant Christopher D. Coray led his team in an assault on at least ten heavily armed enemy combatants. Utilizing direct fire and hand grenades, Sergeant Coray killed numerous armed combatants while braving enemy fire from extremely close range and imminent threats from multiple locations. Sergeant Coray continued closed with and destroyed the enemy and maneuvered his team through complex terrain, killing the enemy while receiving effective fire. His actions resulted in the destruction of at least six enemy fighters and prevented the enemy from inflicting any casualties on the assault force. Through his distinctive accomplishments, Sergeant Coray reflected great credit upon himself, this Command, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Sergeant Coray distinguished himself by exceptionally heroic service on 27-28 April 2011 while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM; while serving as a Ranger Fire Team Leader. During a combat operation, 27 – 28 April 2011 in northern Afghanistan, Sergeant Coray’s team was tasked with clearing several areas of enemy fighters. During the clearance of one of the areas, Sergeant Coray’s team was ordered to interdict an enemy fighter observed jumping over compound walls parallel to the Assault Force. During Sergeant Coray’s movement, six additional enemy fighters, maneuvering from other compounds began to prepare a hasty ambush for Sergeant Coray’s team. A separate friendly element moved to support Sergeant Coray’s team and made positive identification of one armed combatant with an AK-47 and engaged resulting in one in the enemy fighter’s death. Following this engagement, the enemy began to attack the Assault Force using AK-47s and heavy machine guns from covered and concealed locations. Sergeant Coray immediately reacted to the situation and began to engage the enemy in close combat. Sergeant Coray, after making positive identification of an armed combatant with a heavy machine gun, maneuvered to the outside of the machine gun position while under intense small arms and machine gun fire from the north and east. As Sergeant Coray maneuvered towards the enemy, he was engaged with effective AK-47 fire from a separate armed combatant less than ten meters away. Sergeant Coray, with no regard for his personal safety, immediately engaged the enemy and killed him. After hearing reports of troops in contact in the compound to the east, Sergeant Coray, still receiving heavy enemy fire, maneuvered back inside the compound and reinforced SSG Wilbur who was in contact with enemy fighters inside the compound. Braving enemy fire from multiple directions and moving by himself through unknown terrain, Sergeant Coray followed the compound wall, and crossed an open area further exposing himself to enemy fire from a small room containing multiple fighters. Facing a wall of fire from the west and north, Sergeant Coray immediately threw a grenade in the room, waited for the detonation, and then engaged the enemy in the room with his M4. Without hesitation, Sergeant Coray then maneuvered back outside of the compound to reinforce the friendly element that was receiving heavy machine gun and small arms fire from the north, west, and south. Sergeant Coray bounded through treacherous terrain while enemy rounds kicked up dirt around him. He got on line with other friendly elements and began engaging the enemy with accurate fires from his M320 and M4. Sergeant Coray’s decisive actions in this engagement resulted in the destruction of numerous enemy fighters and prevented a tactically competent enemy from successfully ambushing the Assault Force. Throughout his distinctive accomplishments, Sergeant Coray’s actions and leadership were exceptional and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.