Jared C. Monti
Encyclopedia
Jared Christopher Monti (September 20, 1975 – June 21, 2006) was a soldier
in the United States Army
who received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor
, for his actions in Afghanistan.
Monti was deployed with his unit when they were attacked by a group of enemy insurgents. When another soldier was wounded, Monti attempted to rescue him and was killed in action
. The President signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor and the medal was presented to the family in a ceremony at the White House
in 2009. He was the sixth person from the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
, on September 20, 1975, to Paul, a school teacher, and Janet Monti. He grew up in Raynham, Massachusetts
and even as a child the adventurous character that would later earn him the Medal of Honor was already apparent. As a four-year-old, he disappeared from the backyard one day, and his mother found him later on hanging by the hood of his sweatshirt on the other side of the fence. On another occasion, a migraine headache kept him home from school, but he left the house and was later found climbing a tree. Monti became interested in bodybuilding and by the time he graduated had become a New England champion in wrestling. In 1994 he graduated from Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
at the age of 18. Monti had two siblings, a sister, Niccole and a brother, Timothy.
and forward observer training at Fort Sill
, Oklahoma
and continued his training as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. Monti, a fire support specialist, served as a staff sergeant
and Fire Support Team sergeant with the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team
, 10th Mountain Division. Previous to his service in Afghanistan he was deployed to Kosovo
, where he sustained injuries while sky diving. He rejected a medical discharge and reenlisted to deploy with his unit to Afghanistan in February 2006, as part of Task Force Spartan.
That evening, the patrol was attacked by a group of at least 60 insurgents, who had established two positions on a wooded ridge about 50-yards above the patrol and attempted to outflank Monti and his team. The Americans took cover and returned fire, and Monti radioed for artillery and close air support
. Enemy fire killed Staff Sergeant Patrick Lybert. Another soldier, Specialist Brian J. Bradbury, was severely wounded and left lying in the open between the enemy and the team's position. Staff Sergeant Chris Cunningham, leader of the patrol's sniper team, called out that he was going to try to rescue Bradbury. Monti replied, "That’s my guy. I am going to get him."
Monti made three attempts to reach Bradbury. On his first, he advanced to within three feet of Bradbury before being forced back by intense machine-gun and 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 was struck by an RPG. Some news reports indicated that the explosion blew off both of his legs, but this is not supported by family accounts or military records. Monti attempted to crawl back towards cover. He is reported by comrades to have made his peace with God and asked Sgt. Cunningham to tell his parents he loved them. Monti died moments later. At about the same time, the artillery and air support for which he had called began hitting the enemy position, killing 22 of the attackers and dispersing the rest.
SPC Bradbury subsequently died during his evacuation when the cable on the rescue hoist lifting him to a 159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) helicopter broke. The fall also killed Staff Sergeant Heathe Craig, 28, a medic from Severn, Maryland.
in Bourne, Massachusetts
. The Army posthumously promoted him to sergeant first class.
On July 24, 2009 President Barack Obama
signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor
for this action. The medal was presented to the family by the President in a formal ceremony at the White House
on September 17, 2009. Monti is the 3,448th recipient of the honor since the medal was established by the U.S. Congress during the American Civil War
. Additionally, he is the second Medal of Honor recipient from the conflict in Afghanistan, after Navy SEAL Michael P. Murphy
, who received the medal in 2007.
In addition to the Medal of Honor, Monti's awards include the Bronze Star Medal
, Purple Heart
, Army Commendation Medal (5), Army Achievement Medal (4), Good Conduct Medal
(2), National Defense Service Medal
(2), Korean Defense Service Medal (2), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
(2), Kosovo Campaign Medal
(2), Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon
(2), Army Service Ribbon
, Overseas Service Ribbon
, NATO Medal
, Afghanistan Campaign Medal
, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
, Combat Action Badge
, Parachutist Badge
, and Air Assault Badge
.
A call-for-fire training facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Monti trained, will be named in his honor.
The former Pine Plains Fitness Center on Fort Drum has been renamed the Monti Fitness Facility in honor of SFC Jared C. Monti.
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
who received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
, for his actions in Afghanistan.
Monti was deployed with his unit when they were attacked by a group of enemy insurgents. When another soldier was wounded, Monti attempted to rescue him and was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
. The President signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor and the medal was presented to the family in a ceremony at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in 2009. He was the sixth person from the wars in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan to be awarded the Medal of Honor.
Early life
Monti was born in Abington, MassachusettsAbington, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,605 people, 5,263 households, and 3,747 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,469.1 people per square mile . There were 5,348 housing units at an average density of 538.0 per square mile...
, on September 20, 1975, to Paul, a school teacher, and Janet Monti. He grew up in Raynham, Massachusetts
Raynham, Massachusetts
Raynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,739 at the 2000 census. It has one village, Raynham Center.-History:...
and even as a child the adventurous character that would later earn him the Medal of Honor was already apparent. As a four-year-old, he disappeared from the backyard one day, and his mother found him later on hanging by the hood of his sweatshirt on the other side of the fence. On another occasion, a migraine headache kept him home from school, but he left the house and was later found climbing a tree. Monti became interested in bodybuilding and by the time he graduated had become a New England champion in wrestling. In 1994 he graduated from Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, founded in 1960, is a regional high school in Bridgewater, Massachusetts shared by the towns of Bridgewater and Raynham. The high school, commonly referred to as B-R, relocated to a new building at 415 Center Street in 2007...
at the age of 18. Monti had two siblings, a sister, Niccole and a brother, Timothy.
Military service
After enlisting in the Army in March 1993, he completed basic trainingUnited States Army Basic Training
United States Army Basic Training is the program of physical and mental training required in order for an individual to become a soldier in the United States Army, United States Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. It is carried out at several different Army posts around the United States...
and forward observer training at Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and continued his training as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. Monti, a fire support specialist, served as a staff sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
and Fire Support Team sergeant with the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division is an infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York...
, 10th Mountain Division. Previous to his service in Afghanistan he was deployed to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, where he sustained injuries while sky diving. He rejected a medical discharge and reenlisted to deploy with his unit to Afghanistan in February 2006, as part of Task Force Spartan.
Medal of Honor action
On June 21, 2006, Monti served as the assistant leader of a 16-man patrol and leader of a weapons forward observer team tasked with gathering intelligence in Gowardesh, Nuristan Province, in northeastern Afghanistan. The team established a small base on a ridge to support a larger Army operation in the valley below. When the larger operation was delayed, Monti's team ran low on provisions. The helicopter that brought supplies revealed the team's position.That evening, the patrol was attacked by a group of at least 60 insurgents, who had established two positions on a wooded ridge about 50-yards above the patrol and attempted to outflank Monti and his team. The Americans took cover and returned fire, and Monti radioed for artillery and close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
. Enemy fire killed Staff Sergeant Patrick Lybert. Another soldier, Specialist Brian J. Bradbury, was severely wounded and left lying in the open between the enemy and the team's position. Staff Sergeant Chris Cunningham, leader of the patrol's sniper team, called out that he was going to try to rescue Bradbury. Monti replied, "That’s my guy. I am going to get him."
Monti made three attempts to reach Bradbury. On his first, he advanced to within three feet of Bradbury before being forced back by intense machine-gun and 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 was struck by an RPG. Some news reports indicated that the explosion blew off both of his legs, but this is not supported by family accounts or military records. Monti attempted to crawl back towards cover. He is reported by comrades to have made his peace with God and asked Sgt. Cunningham to tell his parents he loved them. Monti died moments later. At about the same time, the artillery and air support for which he had called began hitting the enemy position, killing 22 of the attackers and dispersing the rest.
SPC Bradbury subsequently died during his evacuation when the cable on the rescue hoist lifting him to a 159th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) helicopter broke. The fall also killed Staff Sergeant Heathe Craig, 28, a medic from Severn, Maryland.
Burial and Medal of Honor ceremony
Monti is buried in section 11, site 38 of the Massachusetts National CemeteryMassachusetts National Cemetery
Massachusetts National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery located in Bourne, Massachusetts, in Barnstable County on Cape Cod, approximately 65 miles southeast of Boston, Massachusetts and adjacent to the Otis Air National Guard Base...
in Bourne, Massachusetts
Bourne, Massachusetts
Bourne is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Buzzards Bay, Monument Beach, Pocasset, Sagamore, and Sagamore...
. The Army posthumously promoted him to sergeant first class.
On July 24, 2009 President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
signed the authorization for Monti to receive the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for this action. The medal was presented to the family by the President in a formal ceremony at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on September 17, 2009. Monti is the 3,448th recipient of the honor since the medal was established by the U.S. Congress during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Additionally, he is the second Medal of Honor recipient from the conflict in Afghanistan, after Navy SEAL Michael P. Murphy
Michael P. Murphy
Michael Patrick Murphy was a United States Navy SEAL posthumously awarded the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in 2005 during the War in Afghanistan. He was the first person to be awarded the medal for actions in Afghanistan; and the first member of...
, who received the medal in 2007.
Military awards
SFC Monti's personal decorations include: |
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In addition to the Medal of Honor, Monti's awards include the Bronze Star Medal
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
, Army Commendation Medal (5), Army Achievement Medal (4), Good Conduct Medal
Good Conduct Medal
The Good Conduct Medal is one of the oldest military awards of the United States military. The Navy Good Conduct Medal was first issued in 1869, followed by a Marine version in 1896. The Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal was issued in 1923 and the Army Good Conduct Medal in 1941. The Air Force was...
(2), National Defense Service Medal
National Defense Service Medal
The National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
(2), Korean Defense Service Medal (2), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
The Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
(2), Kosovo Campaign Medal
Kosovo Campaign Medal
The Kosovo Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States armed forces established by Executive Order 13154 of President Bill Clinton on May 3, 2000...
(2), Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon
Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon
A Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon is an award issued by the United States Army and Air Force to recognize those non-commissioned officers who have completed a prescribed leadership course at an NCO training school.-Army:...
(2), Army Service Ribbon
Army Service Ribbon
The Army Service Ribbon is a military decoration of the United States Army that was established by the Secretary of the Army on 10 April 1981 as announced in Department of the Army General Order 15, dated 10 October 1990....
, Overseas Service Ribbon
Overseas Service Ribbon
An Overseas Service Ribbon is a service military award of the United States military which recognizes those service members who have performed military tours of duty outside the borders of the United States of America. There are different versions of the Overseas Service Ribbons for the U.S. Army,...
, NATO Medal
NATO Medal
The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It is manufactured by Eekelers - Centini, International, of Hemiksem, Belgium...
, Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
The Afghanistan Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13363 of President George W. Bush on November 29, 2004. The Afghanistan Campaign Medal was designed by the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry....
, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal is a military award of the United States military which was created by Executive Order 13289 of President George W. Bush on March 12, 2003...
, Combat Action Badge
Combat Action Badge
The Combat Action Badge is a military badge worn in the U.S. Army. The emblem features both an M9 bayonet and M67 grenade. The Combat Action Badge may be awarded to any soldier after the date of September 18, 2001 performing duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is...
, Parachutist Badge
Parachutist Badge
The Parachutist Badge or Parachutist Brevet is a military badge awarded by the Armed Forces of most countries in the world to soldiers who receive the proper parachute training and accomplish the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the first to introduce such award...
, and Air Assault Badge
Air Assault Badge
The Air Assault Badge, pictured to the right, is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School, a two-week course. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingload...
.
Badges
| U.S. badges, patches and tabs | |
| |
Combat Action Badge Combat Action Badge The Combat Action Badge is a military badge worn in the U.S. Army. The emblem features both an M9 bayonet and M67 grenade. The Combat Action Badge may be awarded to any soldier after the date of September 18, 2001 performing duties in an area where hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay is... |
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Air Assault Badge Air Assault Badge The Air Assault Badge, pictured to the right, is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School, a two-week course. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingload... |
| |
Army Parachutist Badge Parachutist Badge (United States) The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Snow Cone", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members of the United States Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy... |
 |
10TH Mountain Infantry Patch (left arm) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia and (right arm) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia - Former War Time Service (SSI-FWTS) |
Medal of Honor citation
Other honors
On January 13, 2009, Marc R. Pacheco submitted a petition to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to designate a state owned bridge in the town of Raynham as the SFC Jared C. Monti Bridge. The motion passed and the state Senate approved for the bridge to be renamed.A call-for-fire training facility at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Monti trained, will be named in his honor.
See also
The former Pine Plains Fitness Center on Fort Drum has been renamed the Monti Fitness Facility in honor of SFC Jared C. Monti.