- SURNAME
Ashwell
- FORENAME
Robert
- UNIT
3 SF Group
- RANK
Staff Sergeant
- NUMBER
- AWARD
Silver Star
- PLACE
Afghanistan 2013
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
CITATION:
Silver Star : 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 Staff Sergeant Robert B. Ashwell, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy on 6 April 2013, while serving as the Senior Weapons Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 3131, Special Operations Task Force-East, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Staff Sergeant Ashwell distinguished himself while his element was receiving a large volume of effective fire from two sides. He then bounded through heavy enemy fire to clear a compound enabling the Operational Detachment-Alpha to take cover. Staff Sergeant Ashwell, with complete disregard for his own safety, charged through a hail of enemy fire to assist a friendly casualty. His bravery and calm demeanor under fire saved countless lives and facilitated the extraction of casualties from the engagement area. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan, the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, the United States Forces-Afghanistan, and the United States Army. NARRATAIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD: Staff Sergeant Robert B. Ashwell, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as a Weapons Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA) 3131, Special Operations Task Force-East, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. On 06 April 2013, Sergeant Ashwell, 10 other Special Forces Operators, a Forward Observer, a Combat Controller and 2 interpreters were sent into the Sono Valley to extract friendly forces, who were pinned down in a compound by over 100 Taliban and foreign fighters near Bar Ghunday Village, Shigal Wa Sheltan District, Kunar Province. By 0830 in the morning, the enemy surrounded the compound and were within 200 meters of the perimeter wall, engaging from elevated, fortified fighting positions with small arms, machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire. The ODA, serving as a secondary quick reaction force, moved to the mouth of the Sono Valley and were tasked to secure a casualty evacuation corridor and facilitate the extraction. Once at the mouth of the valley, the ODA realized that their vehicles were not able to traffic the Sono Valley road. The ODA initiated a four kilometer foot movement under heavy enemy fire to seize a tactically advantageous position to control fires and secure the casualty evacuation corridor. Once the ODA was within 400 meters of the pinned down element, the ODA was receiving extremely accurate enemy fire from the south and east. To get the ODA out of the open area, Sergeant Ashwell along with another member of the ODA, ran to a nearby compound and kicked in a locked exterior door as machine gun bursts were hitting the exterior wall next to the door. Once inside, they cleared the structure as the rest of the ODA followed them inside to take cover and establish a command and control position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Sergeant Ashwell, along with two other members from the ODA, continued east and established a critical overwatch position of the corridor to begin extracting the pinned down element. While the pinned down element was moving past their overwatch position, Sergeant Ashwell observed the two friendly casualties approaching an open dry river bed, which was receiving heavy machine gun fire. Sergeant Ashwell and another member of the ODA advanced forward 50 more meters into the linear danger area to facilitate the movement of casualties. While running forward, the enemy fire was so accurate that Sergeant Ashwell's antenna was shot off his radio. Undeterred by the enemy fire, and with complete disregard for his own safety, he charged through a hail of enemy fire to recover the now fallen casualty. Both Sergeant Ashwell and his teammate took control of the fallen casualty and carried him back through the linear danger area and into a nearby vehicle. His bravery and calm demeanor while under a heavy volume of effective enemy fire certainly saved countless American and Afghan lives and facilitated the extraction of the pinned down friendly forces from the Sono Valley. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military heroism and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, the Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan, the United States Forces-Afghanistan, and the United States Army.
WEB LINKS:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/140913
Last edited by a moderator:
