Brian Chontosh Major Brian R . Chontosh ( born 1974 in Rochester , New York ) is a United States Marine Corps officer who was awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions during the 2003 Invasion of Iraq . At the time , he was a platoon commander for Weapons Company , 3rd Battalion , 5th Marines , 1st Marine Division . Heroism & career . On March 25 , 2003 , during an ambush while advancing upon Baghdad , Chontosh aggressively attacked an entrenched enemy position , resorting to using captured enemy weaponry when his M16 ran out of ammunition . He is reported to have killed at least 20 enemy soldiers during the incident . Chontosh returned to Iraq during the second half of 2004 as the commanding officer of India Company , 3rd Battalion , 5th Marines . During this time his company took part in Operation Phantom Fury , the second assault on Fallujah in November 2004 . Of the 158 Marines he commanded , only 3 were killed in action and 25 were wounded . During this time his company was also the focus of a Fox News documentary titled " Breaking Point : Company of Heroes " . He is currently the 8th Company Officer at the United States Naval Academy and the Officer Rep for the Naval Academy Women ' s Ice Hockey Team ( Beginning the 2011 season ) There have been several news articles on the perceived lack of coverage that was awarded to this and other medal ceremonies . The controversy over the coverage or lack of coverage of Chontosh and several other Marines is seen as the latest cultural clash between pro - military and anti - war political camps . Navy Cross citation . The President of the United States Takes Pleasure in Presenting The Navy Cross To Brian R . Chontosh First Lieutenant , United States Marine Corps For Services as Set Forth in the Following Citation : For extraordinary heroism as Combined Anti - Armor Platoon Commander , Weapons Company , 3rd Battalion , 5th Marines , 1st Marine Division , I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 25 March 2003 . While leading his platoon north on Highway I toward Ad Diwaniyah , First Lieutenant Chontosh ' s platoon moved into a coordinated ambush of mortars , rocket propelled grenades , and automatic weapons fire . With coalition tanks blocking the road ahead , he realized his platoon was caught in a kill zone . He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank , where he was immediately taken under fire from an entrenched machine gun . Without hesitation , First Lieutenant Chontosh ordered the driver to advance directly at the enemy position enabling his . 50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy . He then directed his driver into the enemy trench , where he exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol . His ammunition depleted , First Lieutenant Chontosh , with complete disregard for his safety , twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his ferocious attack . When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher , First Lieutenant Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers . When his audacious attack ended , he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench , killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others . By his outstanding display of decisive leadership , unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire , and utmost devotion to duty , First Lieutenant Chontosh reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service .