Travis William Atkins

Staff Sergeant Travis William Atkins (December 9, 1975 – June 1, 2007) was an infantry squad leader in the United States Army who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism in Iraq. Born in Great Falls, Montana, and raised in Bozeman, Atkins enlisted in the U.S. Army on November 9, 2000. He served as an infantry fire team leader with Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), deploying to Kuwait and participating in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After receiving an honorable discharge in December 2003, he attended the University of Montana in Missoula and worked as a painting and concrete contractor.

Atkins reenlisted in December 2005 and was assigned as a squad leader in 2nd Platoon, Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. He deployed to Iraq for his second combat tour in August 2006 and was promoted to staff sergeant on May 1, 2007. On June 1, 2007, Atkins was killed in action at Abu Samak, Iraq, after engaging an insurgent in hand-to-hand combat. Realizing that the insurgent was attempting to detonate an explosive vest, Atkins threw him to the ground and used his own body to shield three fellow soldiers from the explosion.

Atkins was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions. Following a Department of Defense review, the award was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. President Donald J. Trump presented the medal posthumously to Atkins’s son, Trevor Oliver, at the White House on March 27, 2019.

Citation:

The official citation records that, while manning a static observation post in Abu Samak, Staff Sergeant Atkins was informed that four suspicious individuals were crossing a nearby intersection. He immediately moved his squad to intercept them. When one individual behaved erratically, Atkins left his patrol vehicle and approached him to conduct a search. The men responded belligerently, and Atkins became engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the individual he intended to search.

As Atkins attempted to restrain the insurgent, he noticed the man reaching beneath his clothing. Atkins wrapped him in a bear hug and threw him to the ground, away from the other soldiers. He maintained his hold and positioned his body over the insurgent, further shielding his patrol. The insurgent then detonated the explosive vest, killing Atkins. Through this deliberate and selfless action, Atkins saved the lives of the three soldiers accompanying him.

Facilities named in his honor include the Staff Sgt. Travis W. Atkins Ceremony Room at the Military Entrance Processing Station in Butte, Montana; the Atkins Functional Fitness Facility at Fort Drum, New York, dedicated in 2013 and rededicated in 2021 following the upgrade of his award to the Medal of Honor; and the Travis W. Atkins Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic in Bozeman, Montana, designated by federal law in 2020.