Chris Carter

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Chris Carter, Captain (Infantry), U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while commanding Company A, 3d Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 31 March 2003, in Iraq. On that date, Captain Carter’s mission was to draw Iraqi forces south in Hindiyah, a town of 80,000 some 80 kilometers south of Baghdad, by taking a bridge and searching the police station. When his Company rolled into town Iraqi fighters in civilian clothes opened fire while cars thought to be laden with explosives encircled the Bradley armored vehicles. Having been shot through the rear, an elderly Iraqi woman signaled Attack Company for help and then went limp. The woman later told an interpreter she had been shot by an Iraqi. Captain Carter and a couple of soldiers moved onto the bridge, calling a medic for help. Iraqi gunfire intensified as medics came and placed the woman on a stretcher while Captain Carter provided cover with his M16A4 rifle.