Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today attended a White House ceremony at which Santa Fe native Leroy Petry, a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army, was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Sergeant First Class Petry received the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions during combat operations against an armed enemy in Paktya, Afghanistan in May, 2008.  He is the second living, active duty service member to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"Sergeant First Class Petry represents the best New Mexico has to offer," Bingaman said.  "Every day, for nearly a decade, American men and woman in uniform have performed daily acts of heroism in Iraq and Afghanistan.  But Sergeant Petry went well beyond the call of duty.  His courage and decisive action under the most difficult circumstances saved the lives of his fellow soldiers."

"The Medal of Honor is a very special honor.  Only one other living soldier from these conflicts has received it. Sergeant Petry deserves this great honor, and I join with New Mexicans in thanking him for his service," Bingaman said.

Leroy Arthur Petry was born on July 29, 1979.  He is a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico and enlisted in the United States Army in September 1999.  He attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia.  Sergeant First Class Petry is currently assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment and attached to Special Operations Command (SOCOM) with duty at Joint Base Lewis McChord as a liaison for the SOCOM Care Coalition where he tracks and monitors injured Rangers returning from the Theater of Operations to the initial place of care to home station care.

Sergeant First Class Petry has completed multiple combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq totaling 28 months of deployment.  His military decorations include: two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, National Defense Service Medal, three Army Good Conduct Medals,  Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Combat Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with Combat Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, to name a few.

The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while:

• engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
• engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
• serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life. There must be incontestable proof of the performance of the meritorious conduct, and each recommendation for the award must be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.