Click here to see the stories of the first three winners of the Medal of Honor in the War on Terror.




Bio:

Petty Officer Second Class Michael Anthony Monsoor was born April 5, 1981 in Long Beach, Calif. Michael grew up in Garden Grove, Calif., as the third of four children of George and Sally Monsoor. He has an older brother James and older sister Sara, and a younger brother Joseph.

Michael attended Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate School and Garden Grove High School where he played tight end on the Argonaut football team and graduated in 1999. An incredible athlete, Mike enjoyed snowboarding, body boarding, spear fishing, motorcycle riding, and driving his Corvette. His quiet demeanor and dedication to his friends matched the “Silent Warrior” SEAL mentality that was to become his calling in life.

Michael enlisted in the U.S. Navy March 21, 2001, and attended Basic Training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. Upon graduation from basic training, he attended Quartermaster “A” School, and then transferred to Naval Air Station, Sigonella, Italy for a short period of time.

Petty Officer Monsoor entered Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., and subsequently graduated with Class 250 on Sept. 2, 2004 as one of the top performers in his class. After BUD/S, he completed advanced SEAL training courses including parachute training at Basic Airborne School, Fort Benning, Ga., cold weather combat training in Kodiak, Alaska, and six months of SEAL Qualification Training in Coronado, graduating in March 2005. The following month, his rating changed from Quartermaster to Master-at-Arms, and he was assigned to SEAL Team 3 Delta Platoon. He deployed with his platoon to Iraq in April 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was assigned to Task Unit Bravo in Ar Ramadi.

From April to Sept. 29, 2006, Mike served as a heavy weapons machine gunner in Delta Platoon, SEAL Team 3. During combat patrols he walked behind the platoon point man with his Mk 48 machinegun so that he could protect his platoon from a frontal enemy attack. Mike was also a SEAL communicator. On 15 operations, he carried a rucksack full of communications equipment in addition to his machinegun and full ammunition load-out. Collectively it weighed more than 100 pounds. He bore the weight without a single complaint, even in the midst of the 130 degree Western Iraqi summer.

Mike and his platoon operated in a highly contested part of Ramadi city called the Ma’laab district. During their deployment, Mike and his fellow SEALS came under enemy attack on 75 percent of their missions. On May 9, 2006 Mike rescued a SEAL who was shot in the leg. He ran out into the street with another SEAL, shot cover fire and dragged his comrade to safety while enemy bullets kicked up the concrete at their feet. For this brave action, he earned a Silver Star.

The enemy could not deter Michael and his SEAL platoon. They fought in 35 heated firefights; during these incidents Mike shot tens of thousands of 7.62 millimeter rounds to cover Delta Platoon’s movement through streets that seemed to be paved with fire. In the Ma’laab district, Michael perfected his skills as an urban machine gunner. Once he and his men established a sniper overwatch position, he deftly transitioned to his role as a SEAL communicator calling in tank support and transmitting enemy situation reports to the 1-506 PIR Commander.

Delta Platoon executed a broad spectrum of combat operations in and around Ramadi. They patrolled bravely through the city streets engaging in firefights while on other occasions, they ambushed insurgent mortar teams near the banks of the Euphrates River. Mike and his fellow SEALs accounted for 84 enemy fighters killed in action and the detainment of numerous insurgents. Most notably, the Army Infantry, Navy SEAL and Iraqi Army combined force helped to pacify the most violent city in Al Anbar province setting conditions for the Sunni Awakening.

Petty Officer Monsoor was subsequently awarded the Bronze Star as the Task Unit Ramadi, Iraq Combat Advisor from April to September 2006. His leadership, guidance and decisive actions during 11 different combat operations saved the lives of his teammates, other Coalition Forces and Iraqi Army soldiers.

Petty Officer Second Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously in a ceremony at the White House April 8, 2008. He will receive the award for his actions in Ar Ramadi, Iraq on Sept. 29, 2006. On that day, Monsoor was part of a sniper overwatch security position with three other SEALs and eight Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers. An insurgent closed in and threw a fragmentation grenade into the overwatch position. The grenade hit Monsoor in the chest before falling to the ground. Positioned next to the single exit, Monsoor was the only one who could have escaped harm. Instead, he dropped onto the grenade to shield the others from the blast. Monsoor died approximately 30 minutes later from wounds sustained from the blast. Because of Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions, he saved the lives of his 3 teammates and the IA soldiers.

Though he carried himself in a calm and composed fashion, he constantly led the charge to bring the fight to the enemy. His teammates recall his sense of loyalty to God, family, and his team. He attended Catholic Mass devotionally before operations, and often spoke lovingly of his family – his older brother, a police officer and former Marine for whom he held great respect; his sister, a nurse; and his younger brother, a college football player.

Mike was one of the bravest men on the battlefield, never allowing the enemy to discourage him. He remained fearless while facing constant danger, and through his selfless nature and aggressive actions, saved the lives of coalition soldiers and his fellow SEALs. He was a loyal friend and exceptional SEAL, and he is sorely missed by his brothers in Task Unit Bravo.

He is survived by his mother Sally, his father George, his sister Sara, and his two brothers James and Joseph.

Summary of Action:

Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy, distinguished himself through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a Combat Advisor and Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on 29 September 2006. He displayed great personal courage and exceptional bravery while conducting operations in enemy held territory at Ar Ramadi Iraq.

During Operation Kentucky Jumper, a combined Coalition battalion clearance and isolation operation in southern Ar Ramadi, he served as automatic weapons gunner in a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army (IA) sniper overwatch element positioned on a residential rooftop in a violent sector and historical stronghold for insurgents. In the morning, his team observed four enemy fighters armed with AK-47s reconnoitering from roads in the sector to conduct follow-on attacks. SEAL snipers from his roof engaged two of them which resulted in one enemy wounded in action and one enemy killed in action. A mutually supporting SEAL/IA position also killed an enemy fighter during the morning hours. After the engagements, the local populace blocked off the roads in the area with rocks to keep civilians away and to warn insurgents of the presence of his Coalition sniper element. Additionally, a nearby mosque called insurgents to arms to fight Coalition Forces.

In the early afternoon, enemy fighters attacked his position with automatic weapons fire from a moving vehicle. The SEALs fired back and stood their ground. Shortly thereafter, an enemy fighter shot a rocket-propelled grenade at his building. Though well-acquainted with enemy tactics in Ar Ramadi, and keenly aware that the enemy would continue to attack, the SEALs remained on the battlefield in order to carry out the mission of guarding the western flank of the main effort.

Due to expected enemy action, the officer in charge repositioned him with his automatic heavy machine gun in the direction of the enemy’s most likely avenue of approach. He placed him in a small, confined sniper hide-sight between two SEAL snipers on an outcropping of the roof, which allowed the three SEALs maximum coverage of the area. He was located closest to the egress route out of the sniper hide-sight watching for enemy activity through a tactical periscope over the parapet wall. While vigilantly watching for enemy activity, an enemy fighter hurled a hand grenade onto the roof from an unseen location. The grenade hit him in the chest and bounced onto the deck. He immediately leapt to his feet and yelled “grenade” to alert his teammates of impending danger, but they could not evacuate the sniper hide-sight in time to escape harm. Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself onto the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity. The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him.

Petty Officer Monsoor’s actions could not have been more selfless or clearly intentional. Of the three SEALs on that rooftop corner, he had the only avenue of escape away from the blast, and if he had so chosen, he could have easily escaped. Instead, Monsoor chose to protect his comrades by the sacrifice of his own life. By his courageous and selfless actions, he saved the lives of his two fellow SEALs and he is the most deserving of the special recognition afforded by awarding the Medal of Honor.

Click here for an e-book with the stories of the first three winners of the Medal of Honor for the War on Terror.



White House

Next week there will be a Medal of Honor ceremony, posthumous ceremony — posthumous award, excuse me, for Petty Officer Michael Monsoor. The ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, April 8th. Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism on September 29, 2006, while serving as Task Unit Ramadi Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Navy
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christopher Menzie, Naval Special Forces Warfare Command Public Affairs

A Navy SEAL who sacrificed himself to save his teammates during combat operations in Iraq will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President George W. Bush the White House announced March 31.

The parents of Master-At-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor will accept the nation’s highest military honor on behalf of their son during a White House ceremony April 8. The medal is awarded for ‘conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty’ by a member of the U.S. Armed Forces during combat against an enemy.

“I was happy to hear Mike will get the Medal of Honor,” said Special Warfare Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Tom DeShazo, who worked closely with Monsoor during the mission. “It is not something he would ever seek out or expect; but his clear decision to sacrifice his own life to save his teammates is worthy of this honor.”

Monsoor, a 25 year-old machine gunner with SEAL Team 3, was providing security at a sniper lookout post on Sept. 29, 2006 in Ramadi when a grenade hit his chest and bounced to the floor. With only a moment to act, Monsoor threw himself onto the grenade, shielding three other SEALs and three Iraqi Army soldiers from the resulting blast.

“He had a love and respect for his teammates and his platoon. His nature was to complete the most difficult tasks without question,” said Lt. Cmdr. Seth Stone, who served as officer in charge of Monsoor’s unit during the action. “He was a fantastic warrior.”

Although Monsoor died from his injuries, the two SEALs only a few feet from him survived with significant shrapnel wounds. The other SEAL and the Iraqi soldiers were either unharmed or received only minor injuries.

“Mike Monsoor exemplified the SEAL ethos,” said Rear Adm. Joseph Kernan, the Commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command in San Diego. “He led by example and protected his teammates to the very end. But more than that, Mike was a brother in our family. We will honor him every day by upholding the values he shared with us as SEALs.”

Monsoor is the first Navy SEAL to earn the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq and the second Navy SEAL to receive the award since Sept. 11, 2001. The other recipient, Lt. Michael P. Murphy, was recognized posthumously last October for his valor in combat alongside three other SEALs during a battle with Taliban forces in Afghanistan in 2005. Monsoor is the fifth armed forces service member to receive the Medal of Honor since the beginning of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Monsoor will be inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon during a ceremony scheduled April 9. His name will be engraved beside the names of some 3,401 other service members who have also been awarded the nation’s highest honor. Monsoor was previously awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star (with Combat V) and the Purple Heart.

Awarded by the President in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor was created in 1861 as a personal award of valor for members of the Navy. Soon thereafter, another version was created for the Army and ultimately the Medal of Honor was presented to more than 1,500 Civil War veterans. Later the Air Force created its own unique Medal of Honor design. Marines and Coast Guardsmen are awarded the Navy’s version of the Medal of Honor.

U.S. Navy SEALs are the maritime component of U.S. Special Operations Command and the Navy’s special operations force. The SEALs take their name from the elements from which they operate – sea, air and land. Experts in special reconnaissance and direct action missions – SEALs continue to successfully execute DoD’s most important warfighting missions in the global war on terrorism.

Silver Star

Any Marine would brave enemy fire to rescue a wounded comrade when you have friends that “got your back.”

Cpl. Ian M. Dollard exemplified that sense of brotherhood when he risked his life to save a fellow Marine.

For his actions while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Dollard received the Silver Star — the nation’s third highest award for combat heroism.

His former company commander, Maj. George D. Hasseltine, pinned the award on Dollard during a ceremony on Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field here March 21.

The date was June 24, 2007. While checking a vehicle, Dollard and his men were attacked by automatic machine gun fire.

According to the award citation, Dollard promptly returned fire with his weapon so his Marines could come to the aid of a Marine who was wounded in the attack. Then Dollard and his men started receiving automatic machine gun fire from a second position, which inflicted two gunshot wounds to his platoon commander.

Dollard wasn’t going to let the enemy get away with that. He said adrenaline and suppressive fire from his Marines helped him run to the sound of the enemy’s gunfire.

Without regard for his personal well-being, Dollard narrowly avoided enemy bullets to reach his commander. He then shielded his commander from danger, only to get struck himself, taking two rounds his upper torso body armor.

He was dazed but still insisted to provide first aid to his commander. Then he dragged the lieutenant 25 meters and continued to provide first aid. Seconds later, Dollard was struck in the leg by small arms fire. He refused medical care, then directed his fire team to tend to his commander’s wounds.

Even after a vehicle arrived to the Marines’ rescue, Dollard still refused medical attention until his wounded Marines were treated first.

Dollard’s parents are extremely proud of their son’s accomplishments.

“Ever since he was born I knew he was going to be special,” said Judy Dollard, mother of Cpl. Dollard, of Pleasant, Calif. “It was something that I just felt. He always was that kind of guy that stood up for his friends.”

Cpl. Dollard’s father said he didn’t expect anything like this.

“I know he worked hard in Iraq,” said Todd Dollard, father of the Silver Star Medal recipient. “It’s nice to have something like this to focus it all. Everybody we’ve talked to about this [has] been supportive of this.”

Cpl. Dollard’s former company commander flew here from Arizona to be a part of ceremony.

“I wanted to recognize his achievement and the achievements of the company,” said Hasseltine, Company F’s commander during the time of Dollard’s heroic actions.

Dollard was grateful for the award, but humble.

“I don’t know what to say; it feels good,” he said. “It was a lot of adrenaline. I know I had machine guns doing their job, so I felt safer.”

Dollard currently works as a lifeguard at one of the recreational swimming facilities here and will do so until his Marine Corps contract expires in September.

Meanwhile, Dollard’s former unit will become the first battalion-sized Marine unit to support the Afghan National Police in Afghanistan when they deploy this spring.

Marine Corps News
By Cpl. Ray Lewis, 1st Marine Division

Not many people can say they’ve escorted a V.I.P. through the streets of al-Anbar and helped diffuse a bomb in the same day.

These service members can.

The Marines and Sailors with Security Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, support a wide-array of missions and come from numerous military occupations, said 1st Lt. Thomas J. Beck, the company’s executive officer.

They arrived in late February and have already played vital roles in several types of operations – providing security for civilian and military convoys, assisting the recovery of immobilized vehicles, participating in mounted security patrols and standing up a personal security detachment for the battalion’s commanding officer.

The company also keeps a squad ready to support explosive ordnance disposal technicians on call to disarm potential improvised explosive devices and mitigate other explosive threats.

A majority of the unit deployed from Camp Pendleton, Calif., and consists of motor-vehicle and heavy-equipment operators, radio operators and mechanics, to name a few.

“This is kind of a mixed unit,” said Beck, a 25-year-old from Edgewood, Ky. He said the Marines come from more than 30 different job specialties and all of them “have taken a leadership role.”

“It really gives us an excellent flexibility in our mission,” added Beck, who’s based out of Twentynine Palms, Calif. “If a vehicle breaks down out there, chances are good I’ll have someone who can take a quick look at it, (perform) some tactical maintenance, and get it back on the road.”

Sgt. John E. Smolinski, security commander for 2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon, Security Company, has served four deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

As the only trained combat engineer in the company, he remembers filling security billets during the initial coalition push in 2003, and said designating a company to perform those duties was a good idea.

“Back then, we didn’t have actual security detachments like this,” said Smolinski, a 24-year-old from Mobile, Ala. “It’s nice because we don’t have to take other Marines (in the battalion) away from their jobs to provide security.”

Smolinski and his squad provided security for civilian contractors while traveling to Baghdad International Airport Feb. 8. He wrote the orders, gathered intelligence on the route, took charge of personnel accountability and created a medical evacuation plan.

Delegating these weighty responsibilities to a sergeant highlights the strength and abilities of a unit’s noncommissioned officers, said 1st Sgt. Kevin M. Fountain, the company first sergeant.

“The security commanders are in control of everything, and they’re always (noncommissioned officers),” said Fountain, 37, from Plattsburgh, N.Y. “It just goes to show that this whole war is about small-unit leadership.”

The company is scheduled to return to the United States this summer.

DVIDS
By Cpl. Ben Eberle
1st Marine Logistics Group Public Affairs