Leroy Petry Leroy Arthur Petry ( born 29 July 1979 ) is a sergeant first class in the United States Army and recipient of the United States Armed Forces ' highest combat decoration , the Medal of Honor , for actions in 2008 during Operation Enduring Freedom . Born in Santa Fe , New Mexico , Petry had an active youth , and joined the Army after high school . Completing the Ranger Indoctrination Program , he saw extensive deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the 2nd Battalion , 75th Ranger Regiment . On 26 May 2008 during his seventh deployment , Petry was a member of a team on a mission to capture a Taliban target in Paktia Province . Despite being wounded in both legs by gunfire , Petry continued to fight and give orders . When a grenade landed between him and two other soldiers , Petry grabbed it and attempted to throw it away from them when it exploded , saving the soldiers ' lives but severing his right hand . Petry , who now wears a prosthesis , became the second recent living recipient of the medal for the war in Afghanistan when he received the award from President Barack Obama in 2011 . Opting to reenlist in spite of his wounds , Petry remains on active duty in the Army where he assists wounded soldiers and their families . He and Army Staff Sergeant Ty Carter are the only Medal of Honor recipients in any branch of service still on active duty . Biography . Leroy Arthur Petry was born on 29 July 1979 , in Santa Fe , New Mexico , to Larry Petry and Lorella Tapia Petry . In his youth he was described as very active and likable by his friends and family . He is the third of five sons , with older brothers Larry Armando and Lloyd , and younger brothers Lyndon and Lincoln . Petry attended Santa Fe High School but was a poor student and had to repeat his freshman year . As a sophomore , he transferred to St . Catherine Indian School , a private school in Santa Fe , where his academic performance substantially improved . Growing up , Petry was active in a number of activities including football and basketball , and he also enjoyed fixing cars and cooking in his spare time . He graduated in 1998 ; his was the last class to graduate from St . Catherine before its closure . He spent the next year studying at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas , New Mexico . He also worked at the vehicle maintenance department of Pecos Public Transportation with his father and grandfather , and made signs at a local business , Al ' s Signs . Petry and his wife Ashley have four children : son Landon as well as three children from Ashley ' s previous relationship ; Brittany , Austin , and Reagan . Military career . Influenced by a cousin who joined the U . S . Army Rangers , Petry enlisted in the Army in Santa Fe in September 1999 and also became a Ranger . He attended Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning , Georgia . At the time of the September 11th attacks he was in the process of training to become a Ranger . Upon completion of his training , Petry was assigned to 2nd Battalion , 75th Ranger Regiment based at Joint Base Lewis - McChord , in Washington state . Petry saw a total of eight deployments : two supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom and six supporting Operation Enduring Freedom . In all , Petry had spent a total of 28 months deployed . During his time in Iraq and Afghanistan , Petry served in a number of positions including as a grenadier , squad automatic rifleman , fireteam leader , squad leader , operations sergeant , and a weapons squad leader . In addition to Ranger School , Petry ' s military education includes Basic Airborne Course , Combat Lifesaver Course , Warrior Leader Course , Jumpmaster Course , Advanced Leader Course , Senior Leader Course and Combatives Level One Course . Medal of Honor action . On 26 May 2008 , Staff Sergeant Petry and his unit were on a mission in Paktia Province , Afghanistan . He was assigned to D Company , 2nd Battalion , 75th Ranger Regiment , which was on a daylight raid to capture a high - value target from the Taliban . Petry was to locate himself with the platoon headquarters in the target building once it was secured . Once there , he was to serve as the senior noncommissioned officer at the site for the remainder of the operation . The operation involved about 70 Rangers , who encountered about 40 Taliban , 12 of them armed . Almost immediately after getting out of the helicopters that delivered the unit to the attack site , the Rangers came under strong fire . Petry provided additional supervision to an assaulting squad during the clearance of a building , and afterward he took Private First Class Lucas Robinson to clear the outer courtyard that had not yet been cleared . Three Taliban fighters were in the courtyard , which had a chicken coop within it . The Taliban fired on Petry and Robinson ; Petry was wounded by one round which went through both his legs , and Robinson was wounded , being hit on the armor plate protecting his side . Petry led Robinson to the cover of the chicken coop and reported the contact and their wounded condition . Petry threw a thermobaric grenade from cover . There at the chicken coop , they were joined by Sergeant Daniel Higgins , who assessed the wounds of the two soldiers . A Taliban fighter threw a grenade at their position which landed 10 meters from them ; it detonated , and the blast knocked the three soldiers to the ground , wounding Higgins , and further wounding Robinson . Shortly thereafter the three were joined by Staff Sergeant James Roberts and Specialist Christopher Gathercole . Another grenade was thrown by a Taliban fighter which landed a few feet from Higgins and Robinson . Petry , knowing the risk to his life , moved toward the grenade , picked it up , and attempted to throw it in the direction of the Taliban . Petry later recalled his immediate reaction was " get it out of here , get it away from the guys and myself . And I reached over , leaned over to the right , grabbed it with my hand , and I threw it as hard as I could , what I thought was at the time . And as soon as I opened my hand to let it go , it just exploded instantly . And I came back , and the hand was completely severed off . " The detonation amputated his right hand , and sprayed his body with shrapnel . In throwing the grenade away , Petry likely saved the two other soldiers from serious injury or death . Petry placed a tourniquet on his right arm . Roberts began to fire at the Taliban fighters , suppressing them in the courtyard . An additional fighter on the east end of the courtyard fired , fatally wounding Gathercole . Higgins and Robinson returned fire , killing that fighter . They were then joined by Sergeant First Class Jerod Staidle , the platoon sergeant , and Specialist Gary Depriest , a medic . Directing the medic to treat Gathercole , Petry was assisted by Staide and Higgins to the casualty collection point . Subsequent service . Petry ' s wounds resulted in the loss of his right arm below the elbow . He was evacuated to a U . S . hospital in Germany , where he spent several weeks in recovery before being transferred to Carl R . Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood , Texas . He now uses an advanced prosthetic in place of his right hand . On the prosthetic is a small plaque listing the names of the fallen Rangers of his regiment . After recovering , Petry did not seek a medical discharge ; instead , he deployed to Afghanistan between recovering and receiving the Medal of Honor . He was later promoted to the rank of sergeant first class . Petry received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama on 12 July 2011 in a ceremony at the White House . He was the second living recipient of the medal , after Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta , for actions occurring after the Vietnam War , and the ninth recipient for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan . Giunta was in attendance at the awarding ceremony . Petry later attended the Medal of Honor ceremony of the third living recipient of the medal since Vietnam , U . S . Marine Sergeant Dakota Meyer in 2011 . Following this award , Petry made a long string of appearances on talk shows and other gatherings , starting with " Good Morning America " . In his spare time , he took to staying active , and has learned to golf , hunt , water ski , and drive all terrain vehicle s with his prosthetic hand . He received several honors ; in late 2012 , a statue of Petry was constructed in Pojoaque , New Mexico to honor his accomplishments . In 2010 , Petry re - enlisted in the Army for an indefinite term of service . Petry is currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis - McChord , Washington , where he serves as a liaison officer for United States Special Operations Command ' s Care Coalition Northwest Region . He assists ill and injured Rangers as well as their families . In 2011 , Petry also began attending Pierce College , pursuing a bachelor of science degree in business management . Awards and decorations . Petry has received the following awards : Legacy . On 24 June 2013 a 9 foot tall bronze and stainless steel statue of Petry by George Rivera was unveiled at Santa Fe City Hall . Among the visiting dignitaries , and seated next to Petry during the ceremony was Medal of Honor recipient Bruce Crandall . Earlier in the day Leroy had entered Santa Fe by parachuting into Fort Marcy with several retired US servicemen . < br > The city of Santa Fe announced that as of 25 June 2013 the South Meadows Bridge over the Santa Fe River will be rededicated as the " Sgt . First Class Leroy Arthur Petry Bridge . "