WASHINGTON: A Navy SEAL who helped rescue an American hostage in Afghanistan will be the nation’s next Medal of Honor recipient, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Edward Byers, a senior chief in the Navy, will be the 11th living service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan. The ceremony will take place at the White House on Feb. 29.
The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest award for valor in action, and the White House typically goes into great detail about the actions leading to the award. But in Byers’ case, officials provided few details.
The White House said Byers, 36, was part of a team that rescued a civilian hostage on December 8-9, 2012.
Byers grew up in Ohio, graduating from high school in the small town of Tontogany, Ohio, which is located in Wood County. He joined the Navy about a year later and has completed eight overseas deployments with seven combat tours.
The White House says Byers has been assigned to various SEAL teams during his time in the Navy. His list of awards and decorations is extensive. It includes five awards of the Bronze Star Medal and two awards of the Purple Heart.
He will graduate this year from Norwich University in Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in strategic studies and defense analysis.