Navy SEAL honored for his role in daring rescue
WASHINGTON » President Donald Trump on Thursday inducted a new member into “the world’s most exclusive club of heroes” by awarding a Medal of Honor to a Navy SEAL who led a daring assault and rescue mission on a snowy Afghanistan mountain top in 2002.
Trump presented the nation’s most prestigious honor for selflessness on the battlefield to Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski of Northampton, Massachusetts. The president said Slabinski is a “special man, a truly brave person.”
Trump recounted how Slabinski risked his life by repeatedly exposing himself to “horrendous” fire from more heavily armed al- Qaida forces in March 2002 during the Battle of Takur Ghar while leading a reconnaissance task force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Slabinski set out to rescue a teammate who was injured after falling out of their helicopter after it came under attack as it attempted to land on the mountaintop. The helicopter crash-landed in the valley below and Slabinski and the rest of the team decided to make a daring trip back up the mountain.
“The odds were not good. They were not in their favor, but Britt and his team didn’t even hesitate for a moment,” Trump said.
After forging ahead and exposing himself to an onslaught of enemy fire, Slabinski later carried the seriously wounded teammate down a sheer cliff face while leading a trek through waist- deep snow. He continued to battle al-Qaida until the mountaintop was secured and his team was extracted.