Soldier who tackled suicide bomber to save 3 men will receive posthumous Medal of Honor

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An Army soldier who gave up his life to save three of his fellow soldiers from a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2007 will be awarded the Medal of Honor, President Trump announced Tuesday.

Staff Sgt. Travis W. Atkins, 31, was killed in 2007 after he “engaged in hand-to-hand combat” with a suspected insurgent in the Iraqi town of Abu Samak while his unit participated in a route clearance, according to his biography page on the U.S. Army’s website. Atkins was checking for weapons, but the encounter turned physical, and Atkins determined that the suspected insurgent had a bomb attached to him.

As the suspected insurgent attempted to set off his suicide vest, Atkins tackled him and used “his own body to shield his fellow soldiers from the imminent explosion,” the White House’s announcement said.

Atkins, who was a squad leader with the 10th Mountain Division based out of Fort Drum, N.Y., will posthumously receive the military’s highest award for his actions in 2007 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom at an event on March 27. – READ MORE

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