82nd Airborne paratrooper to receive Silver Star

FORT BRAGG — An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper receives a high honor for heroism in battle against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Sgt. First Class James Brasher will receive the Silver Star on Thursday for his actions during combat last December.

Brasher personally killed eight enemy fighters out of the 20 his platoon killed despite being wounded in the arm. The citation accompanying the medal says the 29-year-old from New Mexico
continued to fight and give combat instructions to his soldiers.

The 82nd Airborne’s commander will present the medal in a ceremony at the 82nd’s War Memorial Museum at Fort Bragg.

Brasher was assigned to 2nd Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)