Matthew O. Williams (born October 3, 1981) is a sergeant major in the United States Army.[1] He received the Medal of Honor on October 30, 2019, for his actions on April 6, 2008, as a member of Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force 11, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan in the Battle of Shok Valley.[2][3][4]
Williams was born October 3, 1981, and spent most of his childhood in the small town of Boerne, Texas. He initially wanted to be a detective or work for the FBI when he grew up, so he obtained a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. After 9/11, Williams started rethinking how he could serve his country. He researched Special Forces programs and, in September 2005, joined the United States Army.[2][5]
Military careeredit
In 2007, two years after he had joined the army, Williams became a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant (18B) with the 3rd Special Forces Group. Williams' first deployment was to Afghanistan and, on April 6, 2008, his unit was tasked to capture or kill high-value targets in the Shok Valley. The operation led to the events for which Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor.[5]
Williams, Lieutenant Colonel William D. Swenson, and Sergeant Major Thomas Payne are the only Medal of Honor recipients still on active duty. Williams was promoted to sergeant major during a ceremony at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on February 28, 2020.[1]
Awards and decorationsedit
President Donald J. Trump presents Army Master Sgt. Matthew Williams with the Medal of Honor at the White House, Oct. 30, 2019.
Takes Pleasure in Presenting The Medal of Honor To
Sergeant Matthew O. Williams
United States Army
For Services as Set Forth in the Following Citation: Sergeant Williams distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 6 April 2008, while serving as a Weapons Sergeant, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336, Special Operations Task Force-33, in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Sergeant Williams was part of an assault element inserted by helicopter into a location in Afghanistan. As the assault element was moving up a mountain toward its objective, it was engaged by intense enemy machine gun, sniper, and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The lead portion of the assault element, which included the ground commander, sustained several casualties and became pinned down on the sheer mountainside. Sergeant Williams, upon hearing that the lead element had sustained casualties and was in danger of being overrun, braved intense enemy fire to lead a counter-attack across a valley of ice-covered boulders and a fast-moving, ice cold, and waist-deep river. Under withering fire, Sergeant Williams and his local national commandos fought up the terraced mountainside to the besieged element. Arriving at the lead element's position, Sergeant Williams arrayed his Afghan commandos to provide suppressive fire, which kept the insurgent fighters from overrunning the position. When the Team Sergeant was wounded, Sergeant Williams braved enemy fire once again to provide buddy-aid and to move the Team Sergeant down the sheer mountainside to the casualty collection point. Sergeant Williams then fought and climbed his way back up the mountainside to help defend the lead assault element that still had several serious casualties in need of evacuation. Sergeant Williams directed suppressive fire and exposed himself to enemy fire in order to reestablish the team's critical satellite radio communications. He then assisted with moving the wounded down the near-vertical mountainside to the casualty collection point. Noting that the collection point was about to be overrun by enemy fighters, Sergeant Williams led the Afghan commandos in a counter-attack that lasted for several hours. When helicopters arrived to evacuate the wounded, Sergeant Williams again exposed himself to enemy fire, carrying and loading casualties onto the helicopters while continuing to direct commando firepower to suppress numerous insurgent positions. His actions enabled the patrol to evacuate wounded and dead comrades without further casualties. Sergeant Williams' complete disregard for his own safety and his concern for the safety of his teammates ensured the survival of four critically wounded soldiers and prevented the lead element of the assault force from being overrun by the enemy. Sergeant Williams' actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan, Special Operations Command Central, and the United States Army.[6]
Personal lifeedit
Williams lives in North Carolina,[2] with his wife Kate and son Nolan.[5][7]
Referencesedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matthew O. Williams.
^ ab"Medal of Honor recipient Matthew Williams promoted to sergeant major". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 29 Feb 2020.
^ abc"Master Sergeant Matthew Williams | Medal of Honor Nominee | U.S. Army". www.army.mil.
^Lam, Dan. "'What can I do?': Special Forces soldier who fought to save his team in Afghanistan receives Medal of Honor". Washington Post.
^Rempfer, Kyle (October 30, 2019). "President Trump awards Medal of Honor to Master Sgt. Matthew Williams". Army Times.
^ abc"Medal of Honor Monday: Army Master Sgt. Matthew Williams". U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
^"Matthew Williams – Recipient -". valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
^"Green Beret To Receive Medal Of Honor For Saving Wounded Soldiers In Afghanistan". October 10, 2019.
April 18, 2024
matthew, williams, born, october, 1981, sergeant, major, united, states, army, received, medal, honor, october, 2019, actions, april, 2008, member, operational, detachment, alpha, 3336, special, operations, task, force, combined, joint, special, operations, ta. Matthew O Williams born October 3 1981 is a sergeant major in the United States Army 1 He received the Medal of Honor on October 30 2019 for his actions on April 6 2008 as a member of Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 Special Operations Task Force 11 Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan in the Battle of Shok Valley 2 3 4 Matthew O WilliamsBorn 1981 10 03 October 3 1981 age 42 Boerne TexasAllegianceUnited StatesService wbr branchUnited States ArmyYears of service2005 presentRankSergeant MajorUnitU S Army John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center and SchoolBattles warsOperation Enduring Freedom Battle of Shok ValleyOperation Juniper ShieldAwardsMedal of HonorBronze Star Medal 3 Meritorious Service MedalWilliams being presented with the Medal of Honor October 30 2019 Contents 1 Early life 2 Military career 3 Awards and decorations 4 Medal of Honor citation 5 Personal life 6 ReferencesEarly life editWilliams was born October 3 1981 and spent most of his childhood in the small town of Boerne Texas He initially wanted to be a detective or work for the FBI when he grew up so he obtained a bachelor s degree in criminal justice at Angelo State University in San Angelo Texas After 9 11 Williams started rethinking how he could serve his country He researched Special Forces programs and in September 2005 joined the United States Army 2 5 Military career editIn 2007 two years after he had joined the army Williams became a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant 18B with the 3rd Special Forces Group Williams first deployment was to Afghanistan and on April 6 2008 his unit was tasked to capture or kill high value targets in the Shok Valley The operation led to the events for which Williams was awarded the Medal of Honor 5 Williams Lieutenant Colonel William D Swenson and Sergeant Major Thomas Payne are the only Medal of Honor recipients still on active duty Williams was promoted to sergeant major during a ceremony at Fort Bragg North Carolina on February 28 2020 1 Awards and decorations edit source source source source source source source source President Donald J Trump presents Army Master Sgt Matthew Williams with the Medal of Honor at the White House Oct 30 2019 Personal decorations nbsp Medal of Honor upgraded from the Silver Star nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Bronze Star Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters nbsp Meritorious Service Medal nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters nbsp Army Achievement Medal nbsp nbsp Army Good Conduct Medal 5 awards nbsp National Defense Service Medal nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars nbsp Global War on Terrorism Service Medal nbsp nbsp NCO Professional Development Ribbon with bronze award numeral 4 nbsp Army Service Ribbon nbsp nbsp Army Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 3 nbsp NATO Medal for service with ISAFUnit awards nbsp Valorous Unit Award Other accoutrements nbsp Combat Infantryman Badge nbsp Special Forces Tab nbsp nbsp Basic Parachutist Badge with 3rd Special Forces Group background trimming nbsp Expert Marksmanship Badge with one weapon bar nbsp Special Forces United States Army Combat Service Identification Badge nbsp Dutch Parachutist Badge with star nbsp Special Forces United States Army Distinctive Unit Insignia nbsp 5 Service stripes nbsp 5 Overseas Service BarsMedal of Honor citation edit nbsp The President of the United StatesIn the Name of the CongressTakes Pleasure in Presenting The Medal of Honor ToSergeant Matthew O Williams United States Army For Services as Set Forth in the Following Citation Sergeant Williams distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on 6 April 2008 while serving as a Weapons Sergeant Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 3336 Special Operations Task Force 33 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM Sergeant Williams was part of an assault element inserted by helicopter into a location in Afghanistan As the assault element was moving up a mountain toward its objective it was engaged by intense enemy machine gun sniper and rocket propelled grenade fire The lead portion of the assault element which included the ground commander sustained several casualties and became pinned down on the sheer mountainside Sergeant Williams upon hearing that the lead element had sustained casualties and was in danger of being overrun braved intense enemy fire to lead a counter attack across a valley of ice covered boulders and a fast moving ice cold and waist deep river Under withering fire Sergeant Williams and his local national commandos fought up the terraced mountainside to the besieged element Arriving at the lead element s position Sergeant Williams arrayed his Afghan commandos to provide suppressive fire which kept the insurgent fighters from overrunning the position When the Team Sergeant was wounded Sergeant Williams braved enemy fire once again to provide buddy aid and to move the Team Sergeant down the sheer mountainside to the casualty collection point Sergeant Williams then fought and climbed his way back up the mountainside to help defend the lead assault element that still had several serious casualties in need of evacuation Sergeant Williams directed suppressive fire and exposed himself to enemy fire in order to reestablish the team s critical satellite radio communications He then assisted with moving the wounded down the near vertical mountainside to the casualty collection point Noting that the collection point was about to be overrun by enemy fighters Sergeant Williams led the Afghan commandos in a counter attack that lasted for several hours When helicopters arrived to evacuate the wounded Sergeant Williams again exposed himself to enemy fire carrying and loading casualties onto the helicopters while continuing to direct commando firepower to suppress numerous insurgent positions His actions enabled the patrol to evacuate wounded and dead comrades without further casualties Sergeant Williams complete disregard for his own safety and his concern for the safety of his teammates ensured the survival of four critically wounded soldiers and prevented the lead element of the assault force from being overrun by the enemy Sergeant Williams actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan Special Operations Command Central and the United States Army 6 Personal life editWilliams lives in North Carolina 2 with his wife Kate and son Nolan 5 7 References edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matthew O Williams a b Medal of Honor recipient Matthew Williams promoted to sergeant major Stars and Stripes Retrieved 29 Feb 2020 a b c Master Sergeant Matthew Williams Medal of Honor Nominee U S Army www army mil Lam Dan What can I do Special Forces soldier who fought to save his team in Afghanistan receives Medal of Honor Washington Post Rempfer Kyle October 30 2019 President Trump awards Medal of Honor to Master Sgt Matthew Williams Army Times a b c Medal of Honor Monday Army Master Sgt Matthew Williams U S DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Matthew Williams Recipient valor militarytimes com Retrieved 2020 01 30 Green Beret To Receive Medal Of Honor For Saving Wounded Soldiers In Afghanistan October 10 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Matthew O Williams amp oldid 1216102646, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
