Medal of Honor: Jared C. Monti – War in Afghanistan, June 21, 2006

Jared Christopher Monti
Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army
Conflict: War in Afghanistan
Unit: Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
Date of Action: June 21, 2006
Location: Nuristan Province, Afghanistan

Summary of Action:
In the jagged mountains of Nuristan, as a brutal firefight erupted beneath the thin Afghan sky, Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti made the ultimate decision—again and again—to risk everything for the lives of his men.

His 16-man patrol had walked into a storm. Surrounded by as many as 50 enemy fighters, they were on the verge of being overrun. With bullets cracking the air and RPGs thundering against the rock, Monti took charge. He ordered his team into defensive positions and coolly called in precision artillery on the advancing enemy, holding the line with grit and fire.

Then came a moment that would define him forever. A soldier lay wounded out in the open, caught between the oncoming enemy and the patrol’s rocky cover. Monti didn’t hesitate. He dashed into the open, bullets slapping the earth around him. He was driven back. He tried again—driven back once more. But Monti would not leave a man behind.

On his third attempt, in a final sprint into the hail of gunfire, Monti was struck down.

He died reaching for someone else. His sacrifice ignited a fierce resolve in his unit, who rallied, repelled the enemy, and lived to carry his name forward.

Medal of Honor Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Staff Sergeant Jared C. Monti distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a team leader with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3d Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3d Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006.

While Staff Sergeant Monti was leading a mission aimed at gathering intelligence and directing fire against the enemy, his 16-man patrol was attacked by as many as 50 enemy fighters. On the verge of being overrun, Staff Sergeant Monti quickly directed his men to set up a defensive position behind a rock formation. He then called for indirect fire support, accurately targeting the rounds upon the enemy who had closed to within 50 meters of his position. While still directing fire, Staff Sergeant Monti personally engaged the enemy with his rifle and a grenade, successfully disrupting an attempt to flank his patrol.

Staff Sergeant Monti then realized that one of his soldiers was lying wounded in the open ground between the advancing enemy and the patrol’s position. With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Monti twice attempted to move from behind the cover of the rocks into the face of relentless enemy fire to rescue his fallen comrade. Determined not to leave his soldier, Staff Sergeant Monti made a third attempt to cross open terrain through intense enemy fire. On this final attempt, he was mortally wounded, sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his fellow soldier.

Staff Sergeant Monti’s selfless acts of heroism inspired his patrol to fight off the larger enemy force. Staff Sergeant Monti’s immeasurable courage and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, and the United States Army.