Three Soldiers Awarded Silver Star Medals

Three Special Forces soldiers received Silver Star medals for heroism they displayed during a fierce Nov. 2 firefight at a Taliban compound in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province. One of the soldiers — Capt. Andrew Byers — died while trying to recover wounded comrades during the fighting. Staff Sgt. Andrew Russell and Sgt. 1st Class Brian Seidl also received Silver Stars. Their unit, the 10th Special Forces, had set out that night to destroy an enemy safe haven. By the time the fight was finished, some several hours later, half of the 59-man unit had been wounded. Another soldier, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Gloyer, was killed when a hand grenade detonated hear him. The compound they had attacked was protected by cliffs on one side and a 20-foot gate on another. Caught in a valley, the soldiers had to fight for two hours before another Green Beret unit arrived to rescue them. In time, all while under fire, the soldiers held off the enemy while calling in medevac flights to retrieve the wounded soldiers and their two dead comrades. The last soldiers left the compound area the following morning. The fight killed 27 Taliban insurgents,  including three senior leaders. Army Times reported that in addition to the three Silver Stars, two other soldiers earned Bronze Star medals with “V” devices, four Army Commendation medals, and six Purple Hearts. An Air Force forward air controller was nominated for the Air Force Cross medal as well.