- SURNAME
Espino
- FORENAME
Erasmo
- UNIT
7 SF Group (Company C,3 Bn)
- RANK
Staff Sergeant
- NUMBER
- AWARD
Silver Star
- PLACE
Afghanistan 2006
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Eagle Pass, Texas
medic
CITATION:
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 Erasmo Espino, Jr., United States Army, for gallantry in action while serving as a Medical Sergeant with Operational Detachment Alpha 781 (ODA-781), 3d Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), as a member of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 19 May 2006, in Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant Espino's coolness under fire and willingness to repeatedly expose himself to enemy fire to save and protect his fellow soldiers are representative of uncommon courage. His actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army. NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD: Staff Sergeant Erasmo Espino, Jr., United States Army, heroically distinguished himself as Medical Sergeant and Ground Mobility Vehicle driver, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 781, Firebase Cobra, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan, in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM. On 19 May 2006, while conducting a combat patrol in the vicinity of Lwar Gawrgin Village, Sergeant Espino's detachment was ambushed by a numerically superior enemy force with an estimated strength between one hundred fifty and two hundred Soldier's employing rocket propelled grenades, crew-served weapons, small arms, and accurate sniper fire. Upon initiation of the ambush, Sergeant Espino immediately exited his vehicle and returned fire. When it became clear that the patrol was being engaged from more than one direction, he maneuvered his vehicle to a more defendable position. Once his vehicle was in position, he checked his vehicle crew and discovered that one of them had been hit by enemy fire. While assessing the casualty, Sergeant Espino left his covered position and moved across 50 meters of open ground under heavy enemy direct fire to reach the second casualty. Once there, he immediately assessed the Soldier's wound, placed a chest seal and dressing, and provided another Soldier with instructions to keep the casualty stabilized, all while rounds continued to impact around their position. Again leaving a covered position and exposing himself to enemy fire, Sergeant Espino moved across open ground to the third casualty who had received two bullet wounds and was lying in an uncovered position while another Soldier protected him. As enemy rounds impacted around him, Sergeant Espino quickly evacuated the casualty to a covered position while under heavy direct fire which wounded the casualty a third time during their movement. Once covered, Sergeant Espino treated the Soldier for two chest wounds and a leg wound. Exposing himself to fire a fourth time, Sergeant Espino moved across the kill zone, engaging the enemy while making his way to a fourth casualty. As the heavy fire continued, he placed a tourniquet on the Soldier's arm. At this point he patrol was ordered to consolidate. Under continuing fire, Sergeant Espino loaded the two incapacitated casualties onto one of the patrols ground mobility vehicles, ensured the rest of the vehicle crew were on board, and drove the vehicle out of the kill zone to the consolidated area. Reaching the consolidation point, Sergeant Espino learned that two more Soldiers had been wounded. Immediately assessing their wounds, he determined that his team leader's wounds were life threatening and advised the assistant detachment commander that immediate medical evacuation was necessary. Realizing that the enemy situation would not permit air evacuation, the patrol prepared to move the final three kilometers to its firebase by ground convoy. Once again assuming the position of driver, Sergeant Espino quickly realized that his vehicle was inoperable. He immediately directed the driver o the vehicle behind him to push his vehicle so that the convoy could continue movement out of the area. When a ditch prevented his vehicle from being pushed any further, he directed the cross-loading of casualties and the rest of his crew onto other vehicles and assumed the rear machine-gun position on one of the vehicles. As the patrol moved onward, they continued to receive sporadic gunfire before hitting another prepared ambush. As the patrol fought its way through this ambush, Sergeant Espino's vehicle suffered the seventh and eighth casualties of the fight. Manning the only operational crew-served weapon on his vehicle, Sergeant Espino simultaneously engaged the enemy with machine gun fire, killing several enemy soldiers, while directing other Soldiers treating the two casualties. When the enemy fire subsided, he quickly assessed both casualties to ensure their wounds were not life-threatening, and then returned to his position on the machine gun for the duration of the patrol. When the patrol finally arrived back at their firebase, Sergeant Espino took control, directing the movement of all casualties into the firebase medical clinic. He efficiently organized the treatment room, and, with two other medics assisting, directed and conducted the proper triage and treatment of the seven surviving casualties, including the stabilization of his critically wounded team leader, until the medical evacuation aircraft arrived. Sergeant Espino's coolness under fire and willingness to repeatedly expose himself to enemy fire in order to save and protect his fellow Soldiers are representative of uncommon courage. 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, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army.
WEB LINKS:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/29048
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