Thomas Patrick Payne

HE ENTERED A BURNING PRISON TO BRING THE HOSTAGES TO SAFETY.

On the night of 22 October 2015, a U.S.-Kurdish special operations force entered an Islamic State prison compound near Hawija, Iraq, to rescue more than 70 hostages. Intelligence indicated that the captives faced imminent execution. Sergeant First Class Thomas Patrick Payne was an assistant team leader assigned to clear one of two buildings. His team secured the first building and freed 38 prisoners. While the hostages were being moved out, a radio call reported that another team was fighting for control of the second building, which had caught fire.

Payne left the relative security of the first objective and crossed the compound under enemy fire to reinforce the assault. His team climbed to the roof of the burning building and engaged enemy fighters while looking for a way inside. Several Kurdish partners were wounded. At ground level, Payne spotted a locked prison door and recognized that the bolt cutters used at the first building might open it. He moved through gunfire, smoke, heat, and flames to reach the entrance. Payne began cutting the locks, retreating briefly when the smoke became overwhelming, then returned to complete the task. He opened the door and directed hostages out of the burning structure. As the building began to fail, he remained until the captives were clear, re-entering the smoke to bring out men who were frightened or unable to move. The coalition formed a protective human wall to guide the disoriented group to the helicopters. In total, 75 hostages were evacuated.

Payne enlisted in the Army in 2002 and became a Ranger the following year. He served with the 75th Ranger Regiment before joining Army Special Operations Command, deploying repeatedly to combat zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. In 2010, a grenade blast in Afghanistan seriously injured him; after recovering, he and a teammate won the 2012 Best Ranger Competition. For the Hawija rescue, the Army first awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross, later upgraded to the Medal of Honor. President Donald Trump presented the medal on 11 September 2020. Payne continued to serve as a sergeant major, bringing his experience to later roles as a special operations instructor.

## Medal of Honor citation summary

During a nighttime rescue operation in Hawija on 22 October 2015, Payne helped free 38 hostages from one building, then crossed an enemy-engaged compound to reinforce a second assault. Under fire and amid smoke and flames, he opened the locked prison door and stayed until the hostages were evacuated.

## Sources

- U.S. Army. “Sergeant Major Thomas P. Payne: Medal of Honor Recipient.” - Lange, Katie. “Medal of Honor Monday: Sgt. Maj. Thomas ‘Patrick’ Payne.” U.S. Department of Defense, 19 October 2020. - U.S. Army. “President Awards Medal of Honor to Army Ranger for Hostage Rescue.”