Navy SEAL to receive Medal of Honor for Taliban hostage rescue
President Obama will award Navy Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers, a member of SEAL Team Six, the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony later this month, USA TODAY has learned. The commendation is for Byers' bravery during the December 2012 rescue of Dr. Dilip Joseph, who had been captured by Taliban fighters and held captive for five days. Ref. USAToday.
President Barack Obama today awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration, to Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers, a Navy SEAL.
"Ed is defined by a deep sense of humility. He doesn't seek the spotlight, in fact he shuns it. He's the consummate quiet professional," Obama said at a White House ceremony.
Byers earned the medal for his role in rescuing an American doctor held by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, a 2012 operation in which he displayed "Superior gallantry (And) extraordinary heroism at grave personal risk," according to an unclassified summary obtained by CNN. Ref. CNN.