SFC Jared C. Monti
.Mil news link
To be honored Sept. 17, 2009

Debated putting it here or GD, here won out

ETA:  http://www.sfcjaredcmonti.org

Background:
Jared Christopher Monti (September 20, 1975—June 21, 2006) was a soldier in the United States Army who was killed in action in Afghanistan on June 21, 2006 while trying to rescue a fellow soldier. On July 24, 2009 President Barack Obama signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor for this action. The medal itself will be presented to the family by President Barack Obama in a ceremony at the White House on September 17, 2009. He is only the sixth person from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be awarded the Medal of Honor.[1] He will be the second Medal of Honor recipient from Afghanistan, after Navy SEAL Michael P. Murphy, who received the medal in 2005.[1]

Combat:
On June 21, 2006, Monti served as the assistant leader of a 16-man patrol and leader of an artillery forward observer team tasked with gathering intelligence in Gowardesh, Nuristan Province, in northeastern Afghanistan. The team set-up a small base on a ridge. The team was also supposed to support an operation in the valley below by a larger Army unit. The larger operation was delayed and Monti's team began to run low on provisions, so a helicopter delivery was made, giving away the team's position.[5]

That evening, the patrol was attacked by a group of at least 60 insurgents who had established two positions on a wooded ridge above the patrol. Monti ordered his soldiers to take cover and return fire, then made a radio call for artillery and close air support. Enemy fire killed Sergeant Patrick Lybert. One soldier, Private First Class Brian J. Bradbury, was severely wounded and left lying in an open between the enemy and the position where the rest of the team had taken cover. Staff Sergeant Chris Cunningham, leader of the patrol's sniper team, called out that he was going to try to rescue Brabury. Monti replied, "That’s my guy. I am going to get him."[6]

Monti made three attempts to reach Bradbury. On his first attempt, he advanced to within three feet of Bradbury before being forced back by intense rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fire. His second try was similarly turned back and as the rest of his patrol provided covering fire, Monti advanced a third time but an RPG round exploded at his feet, blowing off both of his legs. Monti died moments later.[7] At about the same time, the artillery and air support which he had called in began hitting the enemy position, killing 22 of the attackers and dispersing the rest.[4]

PFC Bradbury subsequently died when the winch that was raising him to a rescue helicopter snapped. The fall also killed Staff Sergeant Heathe Craig, 28, a medic from Severn, Maryland.[9]

Monti is buried at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, Massachusetts. His grave can be found in section 11, site 38.[10]

A ceremony to formally present the Medal of Honor to Monti's family will occur on September 17.[3]

The link doesn't have the story yet.
Do you know anything else about it?

It seems the the MOH is only awarded posthumously these days.

Added more info

It sure would be awesome if one or two of our Heroes actually lived to recieve the Medal of Honor.

RIP Soldier.



On a sidenote it seems kind of fucked up that there have been zero living MOH recipients since 9/11. I mean the standard should be absurdly high but I find it hard to believe that there hasn't been a single servicemember that met that criteria without being killed in all this time while fighting two wars.

Out of curiosity, have there been any living people recommended for the MOH in the last 8 years?

I'm pretty sure that Chontosh was originally written up for the Blue Max, but he didn't get it because he didn't get wounded in the process and he didn't "save anybody's life".  If all you do is some good killin' you don't rate the Big Medal.


Chontosh and Luttrell should both have the Blue Max hanging around their necks.

Shit, brother. Based on accounts from men I know who where there, old Sgt Aubrey McDade (he was at Charlie Co while you and I were on The Island) should have had it too. Probably would have had it if he'd been wounded in the action.

Sgt Peralta, too. Guys at H&S while I was there knew him and were there the day he died.

Please do not refer to the Medal of Honor as the "Blue Max".  They are not the same.

I know of a  living Marine who has been recommended for the Medal of Honor who if awarded will be the first since Vietnam.

I know they aren't the same.

It's a habit I picked up from Dave Hackworth.