Medal of Honor

At a ceremony in the White House's East Room on September 17, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor, America's highest military decoration, to the parents of Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti. The medal is given to a soldier who distinguishes himself "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty." Monti received the award posthumously for his efforts to save a fellow soldier who was wounded while on a patrol mission in the Nuristan Province of Afghanistan. In his remarks, President Obama said that Monti knew "the meaning of duty, and of honor, of country."

Jared C. Monti was born on Sept. 20, 1975 in Abington, Mass., to Paul and Janet Monti. He grew up in Raynham, Mass., with siblings Timothy and Niccole. In March 1993, during his junior year of high school, Monti enlisted in the National Guard under the delayed entry program. In the summer before his senior year, he completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.

After graduation, Monti switched to active duty and finished his Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Okla. He was then awarded the military operations specialty 13F, or Fire Support Specialist. Monti was then stationed in Kansas, the Korean Peninsula, North Carolina and New York, before eventually getting deployed to Afghanistan.

Beginning in February 2006, Monti was stationed with the 3rd Squadron of the 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan.

In June 2006, the unit prepared for Operation Gowardesh Thrust, to be executed in the Gremen Valley of the Nuristan Province. Their mission was to disrupt the enemy's freedom of movement in the valley, as well as their use of critical areas near the border with Pakistan. In the first stage of the operation, Staff Sgt. Cunningham and Staff Sgt. Monti would head a 16-man unit over high ridgeline overlooking the Gremen Valley, and relay intelligence back to their squadron.

After three days on patrol, Monti's unit stopped near the village of Gowardesh. The patrol spent the night of June 20 there, observing the valley from 1,000 meters above. By the next morning, they were short on supplies, and learned that the main squadron operation had been delayed until June 24. Though they were scheduled to get more supplies that day, the absence of other air traffic made it extremely dangerous. But, with water supplies critically low, the re-supply was allowed to go forward.

The drop zone was located 150 meters from the patrol's position. Staff Sgt. Cunningham and Staff Sgt. Monti took the majority of the patrol with them to the drop, leaving behind a smaller group to observe, one of whom noticed a local man using military-style binoculars to look up toward the patrol. At about 6:45 p.m., the patrol was hit by rocket-propelled grenades, as well as machine gun and small arms fire.

The attack was so sudden that many in the patrol did not have time to reach for their weapons. Approximately 50 enemy fighters hit the patrol from two positions. Spc. Heistand and Pfc. Bradbury were positioned by a wood line when the attack began, and began to run toward a group of large rocks that would provide better cover. Pfc. Bradbury did not make it to the rocks.

Staff Sgt. Monti and two others returned fire as the patrol fell back behind the rocks. They set up a perimeter as Monti radioed headquarters and informed them of the attack, and requested fire support. While on the radio with headquarters, Monti would occasionally drop his headset and return fire, or even throw a grenade. Soon, mortar fire began to fall on the enemy, causing them to retreat north of the patrol's position.

As the enemy fell back, Staff Sgt. Monti and Staff Sgt. Cunningham realized that Pfc. Bradbury was unaccounted for. Monti called out for Bradbury several times before he responded that he was badly wounded and unable to move. Monti moved out into the open in a first attempt to save Bradbury, and was immediately met with enemy fire. He took cover behind a stone wall, next to a soldier who had been shot down earlier.

Monti attempted to move toward Bradbury, but a barrage of enemy fire forced him back behind the wall. He called to the patrol for cover fire before his second attempt. But he was met by an exploding RPG and fell, mortally wounded, a few feet from Bradbury. He called out to his patrol that he had made peace with God, and asked them to tell his parents that he loved them. Pfc. Bradbury was later rescued by the patrol.

President Obama and the parents of Sergeant First Class Jared C. Monti observe a moment of silence after the presentation of the Medal of Honor.