White House Approves Medal of Honor for Fallen Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis After Years-Long Campaign

The White House has approved the Medal of Honor for Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a Staten Island native who died shielding a Polish soldier during a 2013 attack in Afghanistan, according to Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y.

The decision comes after years of advocacy from veterans’ groups, elected officials, and the Staten Island community to recognize Ollis’s heroic sacrifice with the nation’s highest military honor.

“We were notified by the White House that Staten Island’s hometown hero, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis, has been approved for the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary act of heroism,” Malliotakis wrote in a social media announcement.

Ollis was killed on August 28, 2013, when he used his body to shield a Polish Army officer during a suicide bombing in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province. He was just 24 years old when he made the ultimate sacrifice.

“In 2013, Staff Sergeant Ollis gave his life to save an allied soldier, and his courage, selflessness, and sacrifice represent the very best of our nation,” Malliotakis continued in her statement, expressing gratitude to President Donald Trump for recognizing Ollis’s extraordinary heroism.

The Medal of Honor stands as America’s highest military decoration, awarded for acts of valor that go above and beyond the call of duty. Since 1963, the medal may be awarded for actions taken against an enemy of the United States, during military operations involving conflict with opposing foreign forces, or while serving alongside friendly foreign forces engaged in armed conflict where America is not a belligerent party.

The rigorous approval process for the Medal of Honor requires detailed battlefield reports, at least two sworn eyewitness statements, and additional corroborating evidence. Each recommendation must advance through the full military chain of command before reaching the president for final approval.

Federal law typically requires Medal of Honor recommendations to be submitted within three years of the valorous act and awarded within five years. Any submission outside these timeframes requires congressional action to waive the time restrictions, highlighting the exceptional nature of Ollis’s case and the persistent advocacy efforts behind it.

The Ollis family expressed profound gratitude in a statement released through the SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation: “We are extremely grateful to the President of the United States for recognizing the heroism of our son, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, with the Medal of Honor. Knowing that Michael’s life, legacy and final act of courage have not been forgotten leaves us with a feeling of overwhelming pride and eternal gratitude.”

They also acknowledged the broad coalition of supporters who kept Michael’s memory alive: “We also greatly appreciate the letters, emails and phone calls of support from government and military officials, local leaders, non-profit organizations and the many friends we are blessed to know here in Staten Island and beyond. It is deeply moving to know that you haven’t forgotten Michael or our family.”

Ollis’s legacy extends beyond American shores. In Poland, where the soldier he saved hailed from, his memory is honored through various tributes. Last year, during a ceremony at Camp Kosciuszko in Poland, Ollis’s parents, Robert and Linda, his sister Kelly Manzolillo, and the Polish Army officer whose life he saved, Lt. Karol Cierpika, unveiled a memorial plaque and portrait, officially renaming the dining facility the “Staff Sgt. Michael Harold Ollis Warrior Grill.”

The White House and Department of Defense have not yet announced details regarding the timing of the formal award ceremony, where the Medal of Honor is traditionally presented to the family by the president.

This recognition represents the culmination of a decade-long effort to ensure Ollis’s extraordinary sacrifice receives the nation’s highest military honor, preserving his legacy of courage and selfless service for future generations.