Britt Kelly Slabinski (born December 1, 1969) is a retired United States

Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...

who received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

on May 24, 2018, for his actions during the

Battle of Takur Ghar The Battle of Takur Ghar was a short but intense military engagement between United States special operations forces and al-Qaeda insurgents fought in March 2002, atop Takur Ghar mountain in Afghanistan. For the U.S. side, the battle proved ...

. He also participated in the highly publicized rescue mission to recover Army PFC

Jessica Lynch Jessica Dawn Lynch (born April 26, 1983) is an American teacher, actress, and former United States Army soldier who served in the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a private first class. On March 23, 2003, she was serving as a unit supply specialist ...

Early life

Slabinski is from

Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence, Massachusetts, Florence and ...

. He earned the rank of

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of Scouting America. Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over ...

at age 14 on March 9, 1984.

Military career

Upon graduation from

Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School is a four-year Career/Technical High School located in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School is a public high school for residents of Northampton and ...

in 1988, Slabinski enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He attended boot camp in Orlando, Florida. Upon completion, he received orders to attend Radioman Class "A" School in San Diego, California. There, he trained on the basics of naval communications, graduating in spring 1989. He qualified and was accepted into Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) at

Naval Amphibious Base Coronado Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB Coronado) is a US naval installation in San Diego, California. The base, situated on Silver Strand between San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, is a major United States Navy shore command, supporting over 30 t ...

. Slabinski graduated with BUD/S class 164 in January 1990. Following SEAL Tactical Training (STT) and completion of six month probationary period, he received the NEC 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer (SEAL), entitled to wear the

Special Warfare Insignia The Special Warfare insignia, also known as the "SEAL Trident" or its popular nickname in the Navy community, "The Budweiser", recognizes those members of the United States Navy who have completed the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) trai ...

President Trump Awards Medal of Honor to Retired Navy SEAL for Heroic Actions in Afghanistan 180524-N-N0101-210

Slabinski's operational assignments include SEAL Team Four, 1990 to 1993;

Naval Special Warfare Development Group The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and unofficially known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often r ...

(NSWDG), 1993 to 2006; and Command Master Chief of Naval Special Warfare Tactical Development and Evaluation Squadron Two, 2006 to 2008. He was the Senior Enlisted Advisor of the

Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equip ...

, Washington, DC Office, 2008 to 2010 and Command Master Chief, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, 2010 to 2012. Slabinski completed nine overseas deployments and 15 combat deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism, including Operations

Enduring Freedom Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for both the first stage (2001–2014) of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and the larger-scale Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response ...

and

Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...

. He retired in June 2014 as the Director of Naval Special Warfare Safety Assurance and Analysis Program after more than 25 years of service.

Awards and decorations

*Six gold Service stripes.

Medal of Honor citation

The March 2002 ambush that resulted in Slabinski's heroic actions (now known as the

) was described as one of the most savage and controversial battles of the Afghan war. The Medal of Honor awarded Slabinski is an upgrade from the

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...

award he previously received. In 2018, for his heroism during the same battle, TSgt John Chapman was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. During the Battle of Takur Ghar in 2002, Slabinski believed Chapman was dead and retreated, leaving him behind. However, evidence later showed that Chapman was still alive and fighting for over an hour after Slabinski and the team left. This led to a controversy over the awarding of a Medal of Honor, with some arguing that Slabinski should not have received the award, while others defended his actions in the heat of battle. The new Medal of Honor Museum opening in Arlington, Texas has an exhibit dedicated to Britt Slabinski.

Personal life

Slabinski has an Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic National Certification. He is self-employed as a corporate consultant. He has one son, who is also an Eagle Scout and Ohio State graduate. Slabinski appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of the

American Battlefield Trust The American Battlefield Trust is a charitable organization (501(c)(3)) whose primary focus is in the preservation of battlefields of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War, through the acquisition of battlefield lan ...

's magazine ''Hallowed Ground,'' writing about his visit to the

Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park is a unit of the National Park Service in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and elsewhere in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, Spotsylvania County, commemorating four major battles in the American Civil ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Slabinski, Britt K. 1969 births United States Navy personnel of the Iraq War Living people Military personnel from Massachusetts People from Northampton, Massachusetts Recipients of the Navy and Marine Corps Medal United States Navy Medal of Honor recipients United States Navy SEALs personnel War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) recipients of the Medal of Honor United States Navy sailors