Erasmo Espino, Jr.

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star Medal to Erasmo Espino, Jr., Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a Medical Sergeant with the 3d Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), during combat operations in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, on 19 May 2006, in Afghanistan. On that date, Staff Sergeant Erasmo was serving as a Medical Aidman to a team of about two dozen Special Forces soldiers who were ambushed in the Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, by an estimated 150 o 200 Taliban Fighters. Disregarding his own safety, Staff Sergeant Espino grabbed his aid bag and moved from his covered position to treat other casualties in the kill zone.