Army Captain to Receive Medal of Honor

Army Captain to Receive Medal of Honor

The Army News Service announced today that Capt. Florent Groberg (now medically retired) will receive the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on Nov. 12, 2015.

Groberg, an American soldier was born in France, lived in Spain, moved back to France and finally made his way over to the United States with his family, becoming a naturalized citizen in 2001.

After graduating Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland Groberg attended the University of Maryland. Studying criminology, criminal justice, and competing in track he graduated in 2006.

After college Groberg decided to pay his debts to his adoptive country, so in 2008 he signed his Army papers and made his way to OCS.

Groberg served initially as an infantry platoon leader in 4th ID, meeting his new platoon midrotation in the Pech River Valley, Kunar province, Afghanistan in 2009. As a new member to Task Force Lethal Groberg acknowledged that he would have to earn the respect of his already battle hardened platoon. Groberg attributes his successes on his first deployment to the guidance and mentorship of his platoon sergeant, SFC Korey Staley.

By July 2012, Groberg had been promoted to Captain and redeployed to Kunar province as a member of Task Force Warrior.

August 8, 2012, Groberg was on mission with five other soldiers, all members of a PSD conducting operations to the governor’s compound in Asadabad. The mission was a routine one, having at this point into the tour being conducted on a week-to-week basis for the past six months.

However, on that day the mission was anything but routine.

As the security element and leadership made its way down the street an ambush started to develop, opening up with two individuals on motorcycles acting as a diversion.

At the same time a suspicious looking man approached the element from a doorway. Groberg yelled at the man, who appeared drugged, which caused him to approach the element. As the man neared Groberg noticed an abnormal bulge under the mans clothing.