TSgt Matthew J. Greiner

CITATION TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR

AWARDED FOR ACTIONS DURING THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR

OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM - SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA - AFGHANISTAN

MATTHEW J. GREINER

Home of record: North Hills Pennsylvania

Action Date: September 27 - 29, 2014

Air Force- Technical Sergeant

21st Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Technical Sergeant Matthew J. Greiner, United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States while serving with the 21st Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron in Helmand Province, Afghanistan from 27 to 29 September 2014.

On these days, while attached to a United States Special Forces team, Sergeant Greiner displayed extraordinary bravery and complete disregard for his own safety as he and his teammates assaulted an insurgent safe haven.

Within minutes of landing on target, Sergeant Greiner used available aircraft sensors to locate groups of insurgents maneuvering through villages to engage A-10s and AH-64s and eliminate six advancing fighters before they could establish defensible positions. After destroying a massive weapons cache overnight, coalition forces came under heavy fire from an overwhelming force.

With rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun fire erupting from all directions, Sergeant Greiner immediately began defensive strikes supporting the three embattled positions. He controlled multiple aircraft conducting simultaneous strikes on two radio networks, while braving heavy barrages of machine gun fire in order to maintain situational awareness of three friendly positions and over 20 enemy positions. With two observation posts in danger of being overrun by insurgents within 40 meters of their position, Sergeant Greiner focused all efforts on halting the enemy advance. He immediately destroyed two compounds housing an insurgent machine gun position and enemy strong points, one danger close to friendly positions, with four 500-pound bombs from a pair of F-16s.

Insurgents continued to advance on friendly positions, again reaching within 40 meters. The enemy had coalition forces pinned down with machine gun fire while fighters crept through the adjacent corn fields. The enemy surged in a coordinated attack after intercepted communications stated, "Take the Americans alive." As the enemy neared grenade range, Sergeant Greiner confirmed all friendly locations and engaged at danger close distance with three Hellfires and multiple strafing runs from AH-64s. At one point, Sergeant Greiner identified six fighters with weapons approaching friendly forces on motorcycles, and he engaged with an AC-130 to decimate the enemy and stop the

potential suicide attack.

After 48 hours of intense fighting, 21 insurgents were eliminated, thanks to his employment of aerial assets in nine danger close engagements. Without Sergeant Greiner's expertise and skillful execution, there was no doubt in his teammates' minds that their positions would have been overrun by hostile forces on multiple occasions.

By his gallantry and devotion to duty, Sergeant Greiner has reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.