Obama to award Medal of Honor

Groberg then immediately confirmed the individual was wearing a suicide vest, and with the help of Sgt. Andrew Mahoney, a fellow Soldier with the PSD, grabbed the suicide bomber, physically driving him away from the formation and down to the ground.

Groberg’s actions are credited for disrupting the two suicide attack and saving countless lives that day, and on November 12.

“It was the worst day of my life”, he said, “because even though we defeated the enemy, I lost four of my brothers”.

‘I pushed him as hard as I could away from our patrol, because I felt he was a threat.

Moments later, the man detonated a suicide bomb that knocked Groberg 5 feet, seriously injuring him.

Florent Groberg was in charge of a team of six men whose job was to protect Col. James Mingus, brigadier commander of 4,000 men deployed to Afghanistan from his unit, the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade.

‘Sgt. Mahoney to my left moved in with me and struck him, then Mahoney and I threw him.

In the ensuing confusion a second suicide bomber meant to hit the patrol detonated his vest prematurely, sending the debris and shrapnel into a nearby building.

Groberg was dragged to safety by his platoon sergeant and received medical attention shortly thereafter.

“I couldn’t find my rifle, so I took my pistol out, and I made sure I had a round in there”, Groberg told Army Times.

“I couldn’t remember what happened”.

Groberg was badly wounded-his fibula had torn through his left leg and his flesh was melting to his uniform. “I must be in the kill zone, and they’re probably going to follow up with small-arms fire”.

With President Barack Obama’s announcement on Wednesday, Groberg became the 10th living person to receive the military’s most prestigious award for heroism in Afghanistan.

Grobert was born in France but naturalized in February 2001 and graduated from Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda in June 2001.

Injured during his August 2012 combat engagement, Groberg spent his recovery at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, until May of this year, and he was medically retired from Company B Warriors, Warrior Transition Battalion, July 23. Kevin J. Griffin, U.S. Army Maj. He and his family will attend the White House ceremony. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2006 and worked as an account executive in northern Virginia before joining the Army in July 2008.