Brian G. Cillessen

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Army Award) to Brian G. Cillessen, Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with Operational Detachment Alpha 143 (ODA-143), Combined Joint Task Force PHOENIX, Office of Military Cooperation, Afghanistan, while embedded with the 2d Company, First Battalion, 3d Brigade of the Afghan National Army Commandos. On 23 April 2005, Captain Cillessen and three other U.S. service members were ambushed and with their Afghan troops, engaged in a four-hour-long firefight which severely wounded three Afghan soldiers. Captain Cillessen while under fire, put a tourniquet on an Afghan sergeant’s leg in an attempt to save his life.