Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis posthumously awarded Medal of Honor for shielding a Polish officer from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan in 2013.

The White House has approved the posthumous Medal of Honor for Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a Staten Island native who died in Afghanistan on August 28, 2013, while shielding a Polish officer from a suicide bomber. His sacrifice, recognized after years of advocacy by family, veterans, and elected officials, exemplifies extraordinary valor. Ollis, 24, had previously received the Distinguished Service Cross, upgraded from a Silver Star in 2019. The award, announced on February 3, 2026, by President Trump, marks the third Medal of Honor for a Staten Islander. The ceremony date remains unannounced.