Biden to award three Medals of Honor for combat actions in Iraq, Afghanistan

The Biden administration is planning to award Medals of Honor to three U.S. soldiers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to people familiar with the matter, a group that includes the first Black service member to be recognized with the nation’s top combat distinction for either conflict.

The soldiers are Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, who suffered mortal injuries in Iraq while rescuing fellow soldiers from a burning vehicle in 2005; Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee, a Special Forces soldier who fought off Taliban suicide bombers in Afghanistan in 2013; and Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Celiz, an Army Ranger who died after stepping between Taliban fighters targeting a U.S. helicopter evacuating his fellow soldiers in 2018.

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Cashe will become the first Black U.S. service member to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Cashe’s sister, Kasinal Cashe White, said in a phone interview on Wednesday that she could not be any happier.

“After 16 years of just emotional torture for us, he’ll get what he deserves,” she said, her voice catching. “It means that all this time, I’ve been right: My baby brother will go down in history. It means a poor boy from Oviedo did it right.”


https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/12/08/biden-medal-of-honor-cashe-plumlee-celiz/

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/alwyn-cashe-medal-of-honor-ceremony/