- SURNAME
Solomon
- FORENAME
Alan D.
- UNIT
75 Ranger Regiment (1 Bn)
- RANK
Sergeant
- NUMBER
- AWARD
Silver Star
- PLACE
Afghanistan 2010
- 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 Alan D. Solomon, United States Army, for exceptionally valorous achievement on 26 October 2010, as a Special Operations Combat Medic for a Joint Task Force in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. During this period, Sergeant Solomon was exposed to effective fire from a relentless enemy. Disregarding his personal safety, he moved through 300 meters of arduous terrain to exfil his casualties. Shielding the casualties with his own body, he ensured no further harm came to his men under the intense enemy fire during the boarding of the aircraft. Through his distinctive accomplishments, Sergeant Solomon reflected great credit upon himself, this command and the United States Army.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Sergeant Alan D. Solomon distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous achievement on October 26, 2010 while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM while service as a Special Operations Combat Medic. On October 26, 2010, the task force received intelligence indicating that a high value individual was located in a small village. Information throughout the day indicated that armed Taliban fighters were moving in and around the target compound and aircraft flying in the area were routinely engaged with small arms and rocket propelled grenades. The Ranger platoon began receiving effective fire from an enemy machine gun position to the East of the HLZ. The platoon inserted and moved to contain and isolate the target compound to the North and South. Enemy personnel were reported moving towards their location and the Platoon started taking harassing fire from multiple directions. After the platoon entered and cleared the target compound, the Ranger Platoon began receiving effective machine gun and small arms fire from the West and Southwest. Sergeant Solomon realized that the machine gun fire was affecting a blocking position and seeing the volume of fire his fellow Rangers were receiving, Sergeant Solomon began providing suppressive fires to augment the blocking position. With the intensity and duration of the heavy gun fire exchange, it wasn't long before ammunition started running low. Sergeant Solomon took great initiative and exposed himself to heave effective enemy fire in order to run back to the target compound to retrieve ammunition. Carrying as much ammunition as he could, Sergeant Solomon moved back to the blocking position still under heavy effective enemy fire. He then distributed the ammunition. The Rangers at the blocking position continued to receive precise heavy machine gun and small arms fires from the West and Southwest for the next 40 minutes. As the rest of the Platoon exited the target compound, the enemy in the ditch no more than 50 meters away and multiple enemy positions to the West increased their rates of fire on the blocking position with effective RPG and machine gun fire. A Ranger Squad Leader was temporarily knocked out and a Pfc., received minor shrapnel wounds to his right forearm from an RPG round that landed less than 10 feet away from their position in the ditch. Sergeant Solomon immediately ran through the incoming fire and found seven of his comrades down on the ground. As the platoon Medic and Advanced Tactical Practitioner, he quickly and deliberately triaged all Rangers and focused on the two most critically wounded patients. Once they were stabilized, he gathered his casualties and prepared to move out. Sergeant Solomon transported the two ambulatory casualties through 300 meters of arduous terrain while still under fire from a relentless enemy. As the helicopters were on approach, they began receiving effective machine-gun fire. Placing himself at great risk again, Sergeant Solomon immediately shielded his casualties from the gun fire with his body, ensuring no further harm came to his patients. After he loaded his two patients on the helicopters, Sergeant Solomon came back out into enemy fire to help his Platoon Sergeant who was suppressing enemy positions in order to allow for a safety EXFIL for the Ranger Platoon.
NARRATIVE TO ACCOMPANY AWARD:
Sergeant Alan D. Solomon distinguished himself by exceptionally valorous achievement on October 26, 2010 while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM while service as a Special Operations Combat Medic. On October 26, 2010, the task force received intelligence indicating that a high value individual was located in a small village. Information throughout the day indicated that armed Taliban fighters were moving in and around the target compound and aircraft flying in the area were routinely engaged with small arms and rocket propelled grenades. The Ranger platoon began receiving effective fire from an enemy machine gun position to the East of the HLZ. The platoon inserted and moved to contain and isolate the target compound to the North and South. Enemy personnel were reported moving towards their location and the Platoon started taking harassing fire from multiple directions. After the platoon entered and cleared the target compound, the Ranger Platoon began receiving effective machine gun and small arms fire from the West and Southwest. Sergeant Solomon realized that the machine gun fire was affecting a blocking position and seeing the volume of fire his fellow Rangers were receiving, Sergeant Solomon began providing suppressive fires to augment the blocking position. With the intensity and duration of the heavy gun fire exchange, it wasn't long before ammunition started running low. Sergeant Solomon took great initiative and exposed himself to heave effective enemy fire in order to run back to the target compound to retrieve ammunition. Carrying as much ammunition as he could, Sergeant Solomon moved back to the blocking position still under heavy effective enemy fire. He then distributed the ammunition. The Rangers at the blocking position continued to receive precise heavy machine gun and small arms fires from the West and Southwest for the next 40 minutes. As the rest of the Platoon exited the target compound, the enemy in the ditch no more than 50 meters away and multiple enemy positions to the West increased their rates of fire on the blocking position with effective RPG and machine gun fire. A Ranger Squad Leader was temporarily knocked out and a Pfc., received minor shrapnel wounds to his right forearm from an RPG round that landed less than 10 feet away from their position in the ditch. Sergeant Solomon immediately ran through the incoming fire and found seven of his comrades down on the ground. As the platoon Medic and Advanced Tactical Practitioner, he quickly and deliberately triaged all Rangers and focused on the two most critically wounded patients. Once they were stabilized, he gathered his casualties and prepared to move out. Sergeant Solomon transported the two ambulatory casualties through 300 meters of arduous terrain while still under fire from a relentless enemy. As the helicopters were on approach, they began receiving effective machine-gun fire. Placing himself at great risk again, Sergeant Solomon immediately shielded his casualties from the gun fire with his body, ensuring no further harm came to his patients. After he loaded his two patients on the helicopters, Sergeant Solomon came back out into enemy fire to help his Platoon Sergeant who was suppressing enemy positions in order to allow for a safety EXFIL for the Ranger Platoon.
WEB LINKS:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/54256
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