General John M. Paxton, Jr., the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, speaks on the life of Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Gifford, a team chief with 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, during a ceremony at Stone Bay aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., June 17. Gifford was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for his actions while serving with Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in July 2012. The Navy Cross is the highest decoration bestowed by the Department of the Navy and second highest decoration for valor.