Kyle Carpenter

Shielded a fellow Marine from a grenade and survived wounds.

William Kyle Carpenter was born in Mississippi on 17 October 1989 and grew up in South Carolina. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2009, trained as an infantryman and became an automatic rifleman with Company F, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. His unit deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.

On 21 November 2010 Lance Corporal Carpenter and another Marine were manning a rooftop security position at Patrol Base Dakota in Helmand Province. Enemy forces attacked with grenades. When one landed beside them, Carpenter moved toward it and placed his body between the explosive and his fellow Marine. The blast inflicted devastating injuries to his face, right arm and other parts of his body. He lost his right eye and required urgent evacuation and prolonged treatment.

Carpenter survived repeated operations and years of rehabilitation. He recovered sufficiently to resume demanding physical activities, including distance running. He medically retired as a corporal in July 2013. President Barack Obama presented him with the Medal of Honor at the White House on 19 June 2014, recognizing his deliberate act to protect another Marine at the risk of his own life.

After retirement Carpenter enrolled at the University of South Carolina. He completed a bachelor's degree in international studies in December 2017, receiving a standing ovation at commencement. He became a public speaker and coauthored the memoir You Are Worth It, connecting his wartime experience with the difficult work of recovery and civilian life. The university recognized him again in connection with the national college football championship in January 2025. His continuing public work emphasizes the possibilities of life after severe injury.

Official award citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an Automatic Rifleman with Company F, 2d Battalion, 9th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division (Forward), 1 Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 November 2010.

Lance Corporal Carpenter was a member of a platoon-sized coalition force, comprised of two reinforced Marine squads partnered with an Afghan National Army squad. The platoon had established Patrol Base Dakota two days earlier in a small village in the Marjah District in order to disrupt enemy activity and provide security for the local Afghan population.

Lance Corporal Carpenter and a fellow Marine were manning a rooftop security position on the perimeter of Patrol Base Dakota when the enemy initiated a daylight attack with hand grenades, one of which landed inside their sandbagged position. Without hesitation, and with complete disregard for his own safety, Lance Corporal Carpenter moved toward the grenade in an attempt to shield his fellow Marine from the deadly blast.

When the grenade detonated, his body absorbed the brunt of the blast, severely wounding him, but saving the life of his fellow Marine. By his undaunted courage, bold fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of almost certain death, Lance Corporal Carpenter reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.