Mr. Shurer was a Special Forces medic in 2008, on Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 3336, Special Operations Task Force-11, when his team was ordered to helicopter into the Shok Valley, near the Pakistan border, climb 1,000 feet up a sheer incline and kill or capture a top leader of the Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin insurgent group.As the ODA navigated through the valley, a series of insurgent sniper fire, rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms and machine-gun fire forced the unit into a defensive fighting position. Around that time, Shurer received word that his forward-assault element was also pinned down at another location, and the forward team had sustained multiple casualties.
With disregard for his safety, Shurer moved quickly through a hail of bullets toward the base of the mountain to reach the pinned-down forward element. While on the move, Shurer stopped to treat a wounded teammate’s neck injury caused by shrapnel from a recent rocket-propelled grenade blast.
After providing aid, Shurer spent the next hour fighting across several hundred meters and killing multiple insurgents. Eventually, Shurer arrived to support the pinned-down element and immediately rendered aid to four critically wounded U.S. Soldiers and 10 injured Afghan commandos until teammates arrived.
For the next five and a half hours, Shurer braved enemey fire and received gunshot wounds moving from wounded to wounded all along helping keeping the large insurgent force at bay while simultaneously providing care to his wounded teammates. Overall, Shurer’s actions helped save the lives of all wounded casualties under his care. Shurer also helped evacuate three critically wounded, non-ambulatory teammates down a near-vertical, 60-foot cliff – all while avoiding rounds of enemy gunfire and falling debris caused by numerous air strikes.
It was this action against over whelming enemy forces fighting from superior positions of advantages that led to SSG Shurer's Medal of Honor Award.
Ronald J. Shurer II born in Fairbanks, Alaska, on Dec. 7, 1978 (Pearl Harbor Day). Moving to Washington State then following his high school graduation in 1997, Shurer attended Washington State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business economics. Later that year, he enrolled in a master’s degree program at Washington State. But after the cowardly terrorist events of Sept. 11, 2001, Shurer was inspired to follow in the footsteps of his great-grandfather, grandfather and parents by serving in the U.S. armed forces.
Shurer entered the U.S. Army in 2002, began the Special Forces Qualification Course and after earning his green beret, Shurer was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group in June 2006. Shurer deployed to Afghanistan from August 2006 to March 2007, and again from October 2007 to May 2008.
After separating from the Army in May 2009, Shurer was hired by the U.S. Secret Service and was stationed in Phoenix, Arizona, to investigate financial crimes, perform advance work and protect the president, vice president and high-level dignitaries. In May 2014 he moved to Washington, D.C., as part of the U.S. Secret Service Counter Assault Team, the tactical team that works to suppress, divert and neutralize any coordinated attack against the president of the United States.
Shurer’s awards and decorations include the Medal of Honor, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal with Bronze Clasp and two Loops, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with Numeral “2,” the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, the Valorous Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Parachutist Badge and the Special Forces Tab.
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