America’s Most Decorated Soldiers Since 9/11

Throughout history, men and women have valiantly fought for their nations, but what makes a hero can have different meanings. The definition of a war hero, according to Collins Dictionary, is a person who is admired for bravery in war, a person often described as someone who is admired for their bravery, who is willing to risk their life for others, and whose courage allows them to go above and beyond the call of duty. These heroes are celebrated each year on various days, from Veteran's Day to Memorial Day (If you think there might be heroes on other plants, then you might be interested in celebrating World UFO Day.)

In a study published in "The Leadership Quarterly," more than 500 veterans who went through heavy and frequent combat were interviewed to find out what they believe makes a war hero. While they dismissed claims of heroism, their overall feeling is that it came down to a deep sense of duty and loyalty. Being honored for military service in the United States is something that started with George Washington when he established the Badge of Military Merit, the first authorized military decoration, in 1782 (it was revised in 1932 as the Purple Heart).

Battlefields may have changed since the first award was issued, but the armed forces are still valiantly fighting for the good of their nation.In response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the United States, along with its allies, began the military campaign known as the Global War on Terror. President Bush warned that this campaign would continue until terrorism was wiped out and the American-led counterterrorism fight began with attacks on Afghanistan. This later expanded into Iraq in 2003.

The fight continued until 2021, when after 20 hard-fought years, the U.S. withdrew troops from Afghanistan. During the two decades of conflict in the Middle East, American soldiers have served with distinction and valor in combat missions in both Afghanistan and Iraq. (soldiers are no longer on combat missions but remain in Iraq to assist Iraqi security forces against the ongoing ISIL insurgency.)

24/7 Tempo consulted reference material from the Department of Defense, Spec Ops Magazine, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to compile a list of the heroes of America's modern battlefields. We only considered recipients of the Medal of Honor, the Silver Star, and the highest individual awards from three military branches – the Army's Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, and the Air Force Cross.

Included on this list are American military service members from the Army, Navy, and Air Force who each received two or more medals for courageous acts while engaged in combat operations. Some were wounded while attempting to evacuate or protect fellow injured personnel. Two individuals – Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor and Army medic Corporal Angelo Vaccaro – were killed in action. As of early 2024, there have been 7,078 military personnel who have died in the War on Terror. They and the others listed here join the honor roll of the most decorated war heroes in American history.

• Rank: Master-at-Arms Second Class (SEAL)
• Branch of military: Navy
• Served in: Iraq
• Medals of Valor: Medal of Honor, Silver Star

Deployed with a Navy spec-ops task force as part of a sniper team on a rooftop in Ramadi, which was one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq at that time, Monsoor and his sniper team were surrounded by insurgents shortly after dawn and attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. A grenade hit him in the chest and landed in front of him and two other Navy SEALs.

Monsoor threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion. He saved the two SEALs but not himself. He died from his wounds a half-hour later. Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor earned his medals posthumously for his actions in Iraq on Sept. 29, 2006.

• Rank: Chief Warrant Officer
• Branch of military: Army
• Served in: Iraq
• Medals of Valor: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star

Army Chief Warrant Officer David Cooper was serving as an AH-6 Flight Lead pilot, flying a helicopter on Nov. 27, 2006, in central Iraq. He was leading a group of aviators in support of a ground-deployed spec-ops team as it moved toward a staging site in the open desert. When his wingman's helicopter was disabled by a rocket-propelled grenade, Cooper stayed on to support the team protecting the crash area.

Shortly after the helicopter was downed, enemy fighters swarmed the area and attacked the ground forces, who had no cover. To deflect attention from the ground troops Cooper flew into enemy fire and attacked the fighters. When his ammunition was spent, he landed near the crash site, and the ground troops helped him reload with the rounds from the downed helicopter. Cooper renewed the attack and the enemy fighters retreated (he had been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq 23 times during the War on Terror).

• Rank: Lieutenant (SEAL)
• Branch of military: Navy
• Served in: Afghanistan
• Medals of Valor: Navy Cross, Silver Star

Lt. Mark Donald's convoy came under heavy fire from rocket-propelled grenades and small arms in Afghanistan on Oct. 23, 2003. The Navy SEAL sprang into action, returning fire while pulling a wounded Afghan soldier to safety. Donald, a combat medic, then grabbed a wounded Marine wedged behind the wheel of a truck. Even as bullets ripped his clothes, he continued to treat the Marine's wounds.

Donald went looking for other wounded soldiers while evading machine-gun fire and provided medical treatment until all the wounded were evacuated. He became a public speaker after he retired from the military, and is also the author of the book "Battle Ready: Memoir of a SEAL Warrior Medic."

• Rank: Sergeant
• Branch of military: Army
• Served in: Afghanistan
• Medals of Valor: Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star

Mortar platoon sergeant Phillips was stationed at a mountainside outpost in Nuristan province in Afghanistan on the morning of Aug. 22, 2007, when insurgents launched a rocket attack against about two dozen members of his unit. The insurgent force was estimated to be three times their size and they almost overran the position. The platoon's medic suffered a chest wound, and Phillips dragged him to safety. The unit fought off the attack, with half of them wounded in a three-hour battle, before A-10 Warthogs arrived and strafed the area to push back the enemy.

• Rank: Master Sergeant
• Branch of military: Army
• Served in: Afghanistan
• Medals of Valor: Two Silver Stars

While serving in Afghanistan, Army Master Sergeant Fiesel earned two Silver Stars, the third-highest military combat decoration. The first star was for his actions in December 2008, when he led a special-ops detachment, and Afghan troops that relieved another special-ops team, who were under fire from as many as 400 enemy fighters, and helped withdraw wounded soldiers.

His second star was awarded for his actions in September 2011. When on patrol with a spec-ops detachment, a four-man team from his unit came under heavy fire from enemy fighters armed with heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. He led another four-man group that attacked the enemy and rescued the trapped U.S. soldiers.

• Rank: Corporal
• Branch of military: Army
• Served in: Afghanistan
• Medals of Valor: Two Silver Stars

• Rank: Sergeant First Class
• Branch of military: Army
• Served in: Iraq
• Medals of Valor: Two Silver Stars

• Rank: Staff Sergeant
• Branch of military: Air Force
• Served in: Afghanistan
• Medals of Valor: Two Silver Stars

• Rank: Tech Sergeant
• Branch of military: Air Force
• Served in: Afghanistan
• Medals of Valor: Two Silver Stars

• Rank: Master Sergeant
• Branch of military: Army
• Served in: Iraq
• Medals of Valor: Two Silver Stars