Citations for Silver Star Awards to U.S. Naval Personnel in the Global War on Terrorism

To All Who Shall See These Presents Greeting:
This is to Certify that
The President of the United States of America
Authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918
Has Awarded

THE SILVER STAR
TO

BASTABLE, WILLIAM A.
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to William A. Bastable, Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman (EOD), U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as the Lead Navigator for a Joint Task Force in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM on 25 June 2003. When his convoy was savagely and suddenly ambushed while conducting sensitive operations, Senior Chief Petty Officer Bastable displayed great valor returning fire despite receiving a gunshot wound in the leg from enemy fire. He immediately acted to engage the enemy on the ridgeline above him. Although in intense pain from his wounds, Senior Chief Petty Officer Bastable rapidly identified the enemy positions and maneuvered the remaining friendly forces into an advantageous fighting position. He calmly and precisely directed friendly forces to suppress the enemy fire, consolidated his position with wounded personnel, and initiated a medical evacuation. After moving his teammates and casualties to a secure area, he supervised the medical evacuation but personally refused to leave his team despite his own severe wound. His brave actions while wounded undoubtedly saved the lives of his teammates. By his outstanding display of immeasurable courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, untiring efforts, and selfless devotion to duty, Senior Chief Petty Officer Bastable reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Home Town: Two Rivers, Wisconsin

CHIARINI, JOSHUA T.
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Joshua T. Chiarini, Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Platoon Corpsman, 1st Platoon, Battery G, Battalion Landing Team 1/2, Twenty-Second Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM 04-06, in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, on 10 February 2006. While conducting a combat patrol, 3d Squad was attacked by two improvised explosive devices followed by heavy small arms and machinegun fire that wounded five Marines and one interpreter. Witnessing the initial attack and seeing that the road ahead was blocked by disabled vehicles, Petty Officer Chiarini immediately left the relative safety of his vehicle and fought his way across one hundred meters of fire-swept terrain to reach the casualties. He then used his own body to shield the wounded from the increasingly high volume of incoming rounds as me moved them to cover. Realizing that most of the wounded needed to be evacuated, without hesitation, he placed himself between the casualty and the enemy fire, assisting the casualty with one arm while providing suppressive fire on the enemy with his rifle in the other. He then fought his way back across the one hundred meters of fire-swept terrain to the casualty collection point. He repeated this action three times until each casualty was stabilized and safely loaded for evacuation. Despite the insurgents concentrating their fire on him, he remained focused on saving the lives of his wounded comrades. By his zealous initiative, courageous actions, and exceptional dedication to duty, Petty Officer Chiarini reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Born: August 18, 1981 at Coventry, Rhode Island
Home Town: Coventry, Rhode Island

HILL, NICHOLAS
Synopsis:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Nicholas Hill, Lieutenant [then Lieutenant, Junior Grade], U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as a member of a SEAL Team, Naval Special Warfare Task Group in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq. While engaging the enemy in a combat action, Lieutenant Hill led a coalition force of SEAL, U.S. Army, and Iraqi fighters on a daytime patrol through an insurgent-fortified urban area. After searching through a house, the force came under heavy gunfire from multiple directions. One Iraqi soldier was hurt during the attack, and laid helplessly exposed to the attackers. Lieutenant Hill organized suppressive fire, dragging the man to safety across the street as bullet rounds rained around them. Later he saved another injured Iraqi soldier during the battle by calling in reinforcements to protect the surrounding area from hostile action.
If you can help us locate Lieutenant Hill's Citation or Photo, Please E-Mail us.

KINNELL, ALAN J.
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Alan J. Kinnell, Master Chief Hospital Corpsman, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Medical Chief, Battalion Aid station, Headquarters and Service Company, Third Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7, FIRST Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 21 March 2003. During the Battalion's attack on Zubayr, Iraq, Master Chief Petty Officer Kinnell exhibited bravery and valor when the Battalion's logistics train unknowingly moved into a minefield. During movement, a Marine detonated a mine that severely wounded himself and two other Marines. Master Chief Petty Officer Kinnell directed his corpsman to immediately prepare triage. One of Master Chief Petty Officer Kinnell's corpsmen set off another mine causing Master Chief Petty Officer Kinnell to become a casualty. Without regard to his shrapnel wounds, Master Chief Petty Officer Kinnell quickly took control of the situation. He ordered everyone to cease movement in the minefield. With limited use of one hand, he successfully triaged the wounded. For the next two hours, he supervised the care and casualty evacuation of all wounded personnel out of the minefield to the medical evacuation helicopter. After administering to others, he tended his own wounds., refusing to be evacuated so he could rejoin the Battalion attack. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Master Chief Petty Officer Kinnell reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Home Town: Flat Rock, Michigan
If you can help us locate Corpsman Kinnell's Photo, Please E-Mail us.

*LEE, MARC A. (KIA)
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Marc A. Lee, Aviation Ordnanceman Second Class, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Assaulter and Automatic Weapons Gunner in SEAL Team THREE, Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 2 August 2006. Petty Officer Lee conducted clearance operations in South-Central Ramadi as a member of a Naval Special Warfare Combat Advisory element for the Iraqi Army. During the operation, one element member was wounded by enemy fire. The element completed the casualty evacuation, regrouped and returned onto the battlefield to continue the fight. Petty Officer Lee and his SEAL element maneuvered to assault an identified enemy position. He, his teammates, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Abrams tanks engaged enemy positions with suppressive fire. During the assault, his team came under heavy enemy fire from an adjacent building to the north. To protect the lives of his teammates, he fearlessly exposed himself to direct enemy fire by engaging the enemy with his machine gun and was mortally wounded in the engagement. His brave actions in the line of fire saved the lives of many of his teammates. Petty Officer Lee's courageous leadership, operational skill, and selfless dedication to duty, reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Born: at Hood River, Oregon
Home Town: Hood River, Oregon

MONSOOR, MICHAEL A. (KIA)
Synopsis:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Michael A. Monsoor, Master-At-Arms Second Class, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as Platoon Machine Gunner in SEAL Team THREE, Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, Task Unit Ramadi, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 9 May 2006. Petty Officer Second Class Monsoor exposed himself to enemy fire when a teammate was wounded and gave suppressive fire, while taking his fellow SEAL to safety allowing for tactical casualty treatment. Upon completion of treatment, Petty Officer Second Class Monsoor loaded his comrade into a High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle.
Home Town: Garden Grove, California
If you can help us locate Navy SEAL Moonsoor's Citation, Please E-Mail us.

OLESON, BENJAMIN
Synopsis:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Benjamin Oleson, Special Warfare Operator First Class, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy as a member of a SEAL Team, Naval Special Warfare Task Group in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq. While engaging the enemy in a combat action, Special Warfare Operator Oleson came to the rescue of a wounded SEAL, exposing himself to enemy fire. While dragging his comrade to safety, Special Warfare Operator Oleson poured suppressing fire into the enemy positions and then administered first aid to the wounded man. After he helped to evacuate the casualty, Special Warfare Operator Oleson again returned fire to the enemy.
If you can help us locate Navy SEAL Oleson's Citation, Please E-Mail us.

RUBIO, JUAN M.
Citation:
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Juan M. Rubio, Hospital Corpsman Third Class, U.S. Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action against the enemy while serving as a Platoon Corpsman attached to the 4th Platoon, Small Craft Company, FIRST Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Forces Central Command, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 1 January 2005. During a dismounted patrol along the Euphrates River, 4th Platoon was ambushed in a complex attack by a well-emplaced and determined enemy. As Petty Officer Rubio and an assault element swept through the ambush site, insurgents detonated an improvised explosive device. Rocket- propelled grenades, machine gun, and small arms fire followed immediately after the explosion wounding three Marines. Realizing the severity of the Marines' wounds, and although bleeding profusely from wounds to his wrist and elbow, Petty Officer Rubio low-crawled across open terrain, exposing himself to enemy fire to provide triage. Working simultaneously on three urgent surgical casualties, Petty Officer Rubio coached his fellow Marines who were assisting other casualties as the volume of incoming fire intensified. Upon stabilizing the wounded for casualty evacuation, he directed the Platoon to provide covering fire as he and several Marines began moving the casualties back towards the watercraft. Without regard for his own life, he once again exposed himself to the heavy and accurate enemy fire moving the Marines from the ambush site to the shoreline. By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Petty Officer Rubio reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Home Town: San Angelo, Texas

Published reports indicate that as of March 2008, a total of 23 Navy SEALS have received Silver Stars in GWOT. No doubt some of these "missing 19" SEAL heroes remain classified awards, however we welcome information that does NOT compromise security on any of the SEAL recipients we have not yet identified. We are also still trying to obtain citations for the Air Force Silver Star recipients for which we have only a SYNOPSIS. Citations may be EMAILED, Faxed to :(719) 564-1755, or snail-mailed to Doug Sterner, 3111 Thatcher Avenue, Pueblo, CO, 81005