Clinton Romesha Clinton LaVor " Clint " Romesha ( / / ; born August 1981 ) is a former United States Army staff sergeant . He received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Kamdesh in 2009 during the war in Afghanistan . Born into a family with a strong military background , Romesha joined the U . S . Army in 1999 , and was posted at various times in Germany , South Korea and Colorado . Trained as an M1 Abrams tank crewman , Romesha had seen four deployments , including to Kosovo , Iraq twice , and Afghanistan . On 3 October 2009 , he was assigned to the 3rd Squadron , 61st Cavalry Regiment , 4th Brigade Combat Team , 4th Infantry Division , deployed to Combat Outpost Keating in eastern Afghanistan . When a force of 300 Taliban insurgents attacked the base , Romesha was credited with rallying his comrades and leading the counterattack , directing close air support and providing suppressive fire to help the wounded to an aid station . Despite being wounded , Romesha continued to fight through the 12 - hour battle . Romesha left the Army in 2011 to spend more time with his family . He later took a job in the oil industry in North Dakota . On 11 February 2013 , he received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama . Biography . Romesha was born in August 1981 in Lake City , California , to a family with a strong military background . His grandfather , Aury Smith , is a World War II veteran who fought in the Battle of Normandy . His father is a Vietnam War veteran who later became a church leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints . Romesha is the fourth of five siblings , including two brothers who also joined the military . He is a member of the LDS Church and attended seminary for four years during high school but ultimately decided not to become a missionary for the church as his family had hoped he would . Romesha grew up in Lake City , where he developed an avid love of hockey . He married Tamara Romesha on 13 February 2000 . They met in junior high school and began dating several years later . The couple have three children ; Dessi , Gwen , and Colin . Friends describe Romesha as having a sense of humor and being " intense , short and wiry . " Military career . Romesha enlisted in the United States Army in September 1999 and underwent Basic Combat Training and later Advanced Individual Training at Fort Knox , Kentucky . Trained to be an armor crewman for the M1 Abrams tank , Romesha was first assigned as a tank gunner in B Company , 1st Battalion , 63rd Armor , 2nd Brigade , 1st Infantry Division , and posted at Rose Barracks , Germany . During this posting he deployed to Kosovo as part of the Kosovo Force . His next assignment was as a gunner / assistant tank commander with A Company , 2nd Battalion , 72nd Armor of the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey , South Korea . After a former mentor was killed in Iraq , Romesha volunteered for a tour supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom when parts of his unit received redeployment orders . Next , Romesha was assigned as section leader with Bravo Troop , 3rd Squadron , 61st Cavalry , 4th Brigade Combat Team , 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson , Colorado . There , he completed the Long Range Reconnaissance Course , the Advanced Leader Course , and Air Assault Training . Trained as a Cavalry Scout , Romesha saw his second deployment to Iraq in this unit . In May 2009 , Romesha ' s unit deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom . His unit was assigned to Combat Outpost Keating in the Kamdesh District , Nuristan Province in Eastern Afghanistan . It replaced the outgoing 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team at the remote outpost in the mountains of a semiautonomous area of the country . Keating was located in a valley surrounded by steep mountains , and over the course of the deployment , it came under attack regularly . U . S . commanders opted to close the outpost by October 2009 , considering it indefensible . During the deployment , Romesha was given the nickname " Ro " by his comrades . He was noted for his sense of humor and calm temperament in the difficult deployment . Medal of Honor action . On 3 October 2009 , according to a report published by U . S . Army historian Richard S . Lowry , Taliban fighters launched a coordinated attack on the outpost from three sides at about 06 : 00 , capturing its ammunition depot . Some 300 fighters participated in the attack armed with a recoilless rifle , rocket - propelled grenades , mortars , machine guns , and small arms , badly outnumbering the International Security Assistance Force ( ISAF ) presence of about 85 U . S . Army , Afghan National Army and Latvian Army soldiers , and the 35 Afghan soldiers who abandoned their positions . It would later be known as the Battle of Kamdesh . During the first three hours of the fight , the U . S . troops remained under intense mortar and small arms fire , before the Taliban fighters breached the compound and set fire to it . Romesha moved under heavy fire to reconnoiter the area and seek reinforcements from a nearby barracks , helping the ISAF force to regroup and fight despite being targeted by a Taliban sniper . Romesha led the firefight to reclaim the depot , organizing a five - man team to counterattack while still under fire . He then neutralized one of the Taliban fighters ' machine gun teams . While engaging a second , he took cover behind a generator which was struck by a rocket propelled grenade , and Romesha was wounded in the neck , shoulder and arms by shrapnel . Despite being wounded , Romesha directed air support that killed an estimated 30 Taliban and then took out several more Taliban positions himself . He provided suppressive fire to allow three other wounded American soldiers to reach an aid station and then recovered several American casualties while still under fire . Romesha ' s efforts allowed the troop to regroup and fight off a force superior in numbers . The fight lasted 12 hours , and eight American soldiers were killed , making the engagement one of the costliest for ISAF forces during the war . Nine soldiers were decorated with Silver Star Medal s for the fight . Several days later , the ISAF forces withdrew from the post . Romesha received the award from President Barack Obama in an award ceremony at the White House on 11 February 2013 . He is the fourth living Medal of Honor recipient for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ( following Salvatore Giunta , Leroy Petry , and Dakota Meyer ) , and the eleventh overall for these wars . Post - military life . Romesha was only able to contact his wife four days after the battle , and later noted she was greatly upset when hearing the full story of his actions at Kamdesh . In an interview later with Soldiers Live , Romesha said he felt he " was being selfish and not being fair " having volunteered for so many deployments away from his wife and children . Following the Afghanistan deployment , Romesha went through the Army Career and Alumni Program in preparation to separate from the Army . On 4 April 2011 , Romesha left the military in order to spend more time with his family . Following military service , Romesha moved to North Dakota , where his sister lived , to look for a job in the oil industry . He moved to Minot , North Dakota and purchased a 100 - year - old , flood - damaged home that he is restoring himself . He took a job at KS Industries , an oil field construction firm . Initially crewing a hydro excavation truck , he went through a driver ' s training program and later began managing the crews of six other trucks . He currently works as a field safety specialist for KS Industries . His exploits during the firefight were later written about by journalist Jake Tapper in his book , " The Outpost . " In a press conference on 16 January 2013 shortly after being notified he would receive the medal , Romesha played down his actions in the conflict , noting many other veterans who had received more serious injuries in the battle . Romesha noted that he did not suffer post - traumatic stress disorder or other lasting psychological injuries from deployment , but that others he knew during the deployment did . On 11 February 2013 , Romesha received the Medal of Honor at a ceremony held at the White House . After receiving the award , when speaking to the press wearing his Stetson , Romesha stated he felt " conflicted " about receiving the medal due to the loss of those who died while serving with him . In the days following the award , Romesha was recognized in a number of other events . He was inducted into The Pentagon ' s " Hall of Heroes " on 12 February , and traveled to New York City on 17 February to visit with the cast of " " on Broadway , hosted by the USO . He was recognized by Governor of North Dakota Jack Dalrymple in an event at the North Dakota State Capitol on 21 February 2013 . On 2 March , Romesha spoke at the military ball of the ROTC program at University of North Dakota . Awards and decorations . During his military career , Romesha received a number of decorations . He is authorized to wear three service stripe s , six Overseas Service Bar s , as well as the former wartime service Combat Service Identification Badge for the 4th Infantry Division and the Distinctive Unit Insignia of the 61st Cavalry Regiment . Romesha ' s military decorations include the following awards :