Anthony Ray Charles Yost
Master Sergeant, U.S. Army

Prior to his Special Forces qualification, Anthony Ray Charles Yost military assignments included tours in South Korea, Fort Lewis, WA, and Fort Bliss, TX.

Yost graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in 1993 and was assigned that year to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, CO, as an Special Forces Weapons Sergeant. While there, he deployed to Kosovo in support of NATO peacekeeping operations. He was also in Latvia, Germany, Turkey, Bosnia, Italy, Russia, Kazakhstan, Serbia and Montenegro. After serving eight years in 10th SFG, Yost was assigned in 2001 to the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, NC, where he served as a senior SF weapons instructor. In March 2005, Yost was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and served as an Operational Detachment – Alpha team sergeant until his death.

On 19 November 2005, Master Sergeant Anthony Ray Charles Yost was serving as the Detachment Operations Sergeant with Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 381 (ODA-381), 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), FOB 51, while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In the early morning hours of 19 November, MSG Yost was called into action to respond to distress calls from elements of the Iraqi Police Service and 2-1 Infantry, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) that were engaged in a furious battle with heavily armed insurgents in northeastern Mosul. In a dense urban area against determined opposition, the Iraqi Police (IP) had suffered 4 KIA and many more wounded while the U.S. infantry had already suffered 11 wounded, 2 of whom would later die of wounds. MSG Yost responded to their urgent calls for assistance by rapidly assembling his detachment and elements from the 2nd Iraqi Army Division that had been trained and advised by ODA-381. After organizing this response force and moving to the objective area, MSG Yost was informed that U.S. infantry had been engaged from multiple locations and were unable to secure and clear the house. Even rocket fire from U.S. helicopters had been unable to dislodge this determined enemy force. Ignoring his own safety, MSG Yost volunteered to lead an assault to secure the house. MSG Yost quickly assembled a group of Special Forces and IA soldiers, and led them into the target house where they were rapidly engaged by insurgents, both inside as well as outside of the house. As the firefight raged, MSG Yost, accompanied by a squad of Iraqi Army Soldiers, moved forward and entered the enemy stronghold. Once inside the house, MSG Yost led his Iraqi Soldiers on a room to room search and eliminated the insurgents inside the house. As MSG Yost was consolidating his force, an enormous explosion from a hidden demolition charge engulfed the house, instantly reducing most of it to rubble and fatally wounding MSG Yost and several of the Iraqi Soldiers accompanying him. The corpses of 7 insurgents were recovered from the rubble of the house as well as a cache containing explosives, mines, remote detonating devices, and a scoped rifle. MSG Yost died leading a group of Iraqi soldiers from the front, soldiers that he had trained. Rather than simply have the Iraqi Army unilaterally clear the house, MSG Yost voluntarily and audaciously led the assault element, going far above and beyond what was required of him as a Combat Advisor. MSG Yost's exceptional courage and leadership inspired the inexperienced Iraqi soldiers to follow him and assault a determined enemy that had already inflicted significant casualties on friendly forces, despite the immediate danger they faced. MSG Yost's bold, courageous and selfless actions that day earned him, at the cost of his life, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor, the Silver Star Medal.

Medals, Awards, Badges and Tabs

Silver Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
Purple Heart
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
Army Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster
Army Good Conduct Medal with Silver Knot
National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Service Medal
Army NCO Professional Development Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
Army Overseas Service Ribbon
NATO Medal (Yugoslavia)
Combat Infantryman Badge Senior Parachutist Badge
Master Military Freefall Parachutist Badge
Special Forces Tab

Silver Star Medal Citation

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 pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Master Sergeant Anthony Ray Charles Yost, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with 3d Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group (Airborne), while assigned to Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 381 (ODA-381), 3d Battalion, 3d Special Forces Group (Airborne), FOB 51, Mosul, Iraq, during combat operations in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, on 19 November 2005, at Mosul, Iraq. Master Sergeant Yost's personal bravery and selfless actions are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

Burial

Master Sergeant Anthony Ray Charles Yost is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Arlington County, VA.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12450118/anthony-yost