WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined President Trump, Secretary of War Hegseth, military officials, and members of Congress at the White House for a ceremony in which Indianapolis native, Major Nicholas Dockery, U.S. Army (Retired), was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Major Dockery received the Medal of Honor for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on October 2, 2012, while serving as a Platoon Leader in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan.
On this day, a large and well-armed Taliban force ambushed his platoon. Over the course of four hours, he fought and maintained contact with the enemy in extremely restricted urban terrain, personally risking his life on numerous occasions to protect and evacuate three wounded members of his platoon. After consolidation and reorganization, he directed rotary wing aircraft in the defense against subsequent enemy counterattacks from an exposed rooftop while his unit evacuated the wounded soldiers.
Senator Jim Banks said, “Major Nicholas Dockery is a hero who represents the very best of Indiana and the very best of our nation. He is an inspiration to us all, and I am proud to have been on hand as President Trump awarded him America’s highest military honor.”
The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the armed forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives 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.
