The Story of Army Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins

Date of Incident: June 1, 2007
Location: Iraq – near Abu Samak
Unit: 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army

Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins was on his second tour of duty in Iraq, leading his squad on a route security mission when they stopped a group of suspicious men. As he approached to search one of them, the man resisted and began to struggle violently.

In that moment, Atkins realized the man was wearing a suicide vest — explosives strapped to his body.

Without hesitation, he tackled the insurgent to the ground, using his own body to shield his fellow soldiers from the blast. The bomb detonated. Travis was killed instantly.

But his selfless act saved the lives of the three soldiers behind him.

Those men are alive today because of his decision to put their lives above his own.

Twelve years later, in 2019, Travis Atkins was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His teenage son, Trevor, accepted the medal from President Donald Trump in an emotional White House ceremony.