06DEC2001: Serving as a combat controller with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, T/Sgt Michael Stockdale was working with teams from the U.S. Army SFOD-D in Afghanistan. With word that bin Laden had moved into a mountain range bordering Pakistan, Stockdale's team along with their Afghan allies moved in. Holed up in what's known as Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan, bin Laden and al-Qaeda had built a substantial defensive network amidst what was already a formidable natural fortress. In order to assault the defenders, American air power would be critical. The first three days of the fight would see T/Sgt Stockdale masterfully employing close air support in a devastating manner. As the fight raged, Stockdale moved to the front lines to gain a better view of the enemy positions and started servicing one after the other. Working non-stop for days on end, T/Sgt Stockdale was regularly coordinating between multiple aircraft, sending targets, and aligning attack headings all while more aircraft came on and off station. An incredible feat from a secure environment, Stockdale accomplished this in the midst of a deadly close-range fight. Over a three day span, T/Sgt Stockdale averaged 13 hours a day of uninterrupted air support, directing over 300 missions and 600,000 lbs of munitions. This overwhelming firepower had bin Laden so shaken that he notated a last will and testament, found later by US forces. For his incredible skill in the midst of the deadly fight, T/Sgt Michael Stockdale was awarded the Silver Star.

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