- SURNAME
Drew
- FORENAME
Jonathan B.
- UNIT
3 SF Group
- RANK
Sergeant First Class
- NUMBER
- AWARD
Bronze Star with V Device, Silver Star
- PLACE
Afghanistan 2010 (BS), Afghanistan 2013 (SS)
- 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 Sergeant First Class Jonathan B. Drew, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy on 11 April 2012, as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant, assigned to Operational Detachment-Alpha 3133, Special Operations Task Force-East, Bagram Airfield in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Sergeant First Class Drew distinguished himself by engaging and eliminating enemy forces that were attacking civilians, commandos, and United States service members. Sergeant Drew willingly placed himself in harms way in order to prevent the enemy from gaining the initiative through precise direct fire. Sergeant Drew's actions saved the lives of Afghan civilians, partnered servicemembers, and United States Soldiers. 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, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Sergeant First Class Jonathan B. Drew, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 3133, Special Operations Task Force-East, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. On 11 April 2012, during a combat operation, Sergeant Drew infiltrated onto the objective's landing zone and immediately maneuvered his element of Afghan National Army Commandos from 3d Company, 1st Kandak to Upper Kamdesh village to linkup with district leadership. Sergeant Drew established security and integrated his element with the local defense forces and began identifying enemy fighting positions. On the morning of 12 April 2012, Sergeant Drew and his teammates conducted a shura at the Kamdesh District Center. During the shura, friendly forces came under intense enemy. Sergeant Drew positioned himself directly in harm's way to gain high ground, where he could direct fires and personally suppress maneuvering enemy fighters. Sergeant Drew performed exceptionally by commanding and controlling a platoon of Commandos, local forces, and district leaders while under heavy enemy sniper and automatic machine gun fire. Sergeant Drew continuously placed himself in the kill zone to protect his partner force and local civilians. The enemy engaged Sergeant Drew's position from as close as 70 meters away, attacking him from fortified fighting positions and wounding 2 Commandos, 1 local national woman, and neutralizing 1 local national female. While receiving accurate sniper fire, a local national female was shot in the chest. Without hesitation, Sergeant Drew responded to the wounded individual to administer first responder care while under direct enemy fire. Sergeant Drew rushed into the enemy cone of fire to save the woman's life and move her to the casualty collection point. He then provided the necessary fire support for the medical evacuation aircraft to land and take the casualty away. Throughout the 15-hour enemy engagement, Sergeant Drew repeatedly exposed himself to withering machine gun and sniper fire to protect civilians, the partnered Commandos, local national government officials and his fellow teammates. Sergeant Drew was single handedly responsible for 2 successful air-to-ground engagements resulting in 10 to 15 enemies neutralized. Sergeant Drew put himself into the open on multiple occasions to identify and engage enemy fighting positions and mark them with smoke rounds so friendly aircraft could engage the enemy positions. His actions not only helped defeat the immense enemy force that was skillfully maneuvering towards his position, but also saved the lives of his fellow teammates by achieving key tactical defensive positions while receiving accurate rocket propelled grenade, large caliber machine gun, and sniper fire from numerous enemy fighting positions. 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, and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Sergeant First Class Jonathan B. Drew, United States Army, heroically distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous conduct in the face of the enemy of the United States as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha 3133, Special Operations Task Force-East, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force- Afghanistan, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. On 11 April 2012, during a combat operation, Sergeant Drew infiltrated onto the objective's landing zone and immediately maneuvered his element of Afghan National Army Commandos from 3d Company, 1st Kandak to Upper Kamdesh village to linkup with district leadership. Sergeant Drew established security and integrated his element with the local defense forces and began identifying enemy fighting positions. On the morning of 12 April 2012, Sergeant Drew and his teammates conducted a shura at the Kamdesh District Center. During the shura, friendly forces came under intense enemy. Sergeant Drew positioned himself directly in harm's way to gain high ground, where he could direct fires and personally suppress maneuvering enemy fighters. Sergeant Drew performed exceptionally by commanding and controlling a platoon of Commandos, local forces, and district leaders while under heavy enemy sniper and automatic machine gun fire. Sergeant Drew continuously placed himself in the kill zone to protect his partner force and local civilians. The enemy engaged Sergeant Drew's position from as close as 70 meters away, attacking him from fortified fighting positions and wounding 2 Commandos, 1 local national woman, and neutralizing 1 local national female. While receiving accurate sniper fire, a local national female was shot in the chest. Without hesitation, Sergeant Drew responded to the wounded individual to administer first responder care while under direct enemy fire. Sergeant Drew rushed into the enemy cone of fire to save the woman's life and move her to the casualty collection point. He then provided the necessary fire support for the medical evacuation aircraft to land and take the casualty away. Throughout the 15-hour enemy engagement, Sergeant Drew repeatedly exposed himself to withering machine gun and sniper fire to protect civilians, the partnered Commandos, local national government officials and his fellow teammates. Sergeant Drew was single handedly responsible for 2 successful air-to-ground engagements resulting in 10 to 15 enemies neutralized. Sergeant Drew put himself into the open on multiple occasions to identify and engage enemy fighting positions and mark them with smoke rounds so friendly aircraft could engage the enemy positions. His actions not only helped defeat the immense enemy force that was skillfully maneuvering towards his position, but also saved the lives of his fellow teammates by achieving key tactical defensive positions while receiving accurate rocket propelled grenade, large caliber machine gun, and sniper fire from numerous enemy fighting positions. 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, and the United States Army.
WEB LINKS:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/140912
Last edited by a moderator:
