Tommy Rieman

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Tommy Rieman, Sergeant, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Company B, 3d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 3 December 2003, in Iraq. On that date, Sergeant Rieman and his team were sent on a reconnaissance mission near the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Before reaching its destination, the three-vehicle convoy came under heavy enemy fire. Sergeant Rieman moved into position, using his own body to protect his gunner and began returning fire. The Humvees they were traveling in did not have doors, so Sergeant Rieman was directly exposed to the enemy fire. He suffered two bullet wounds and 11 shrapnel wounds. After refusing medical help several times, Sergeant Rieman took charge and moved the convoy off the main road, out of the line of fire, but encountered a smaller group of insurgents. He directed his men to return fire and eventually they suppressed the attack. Sergeant Rieman then set up a defensive perimeter so that a medical evacuation team could extract the wounded.