He was part of a joint U.S.-Kurdish mission to rescue more than 70 people who had been taken hostage and were facing near certain death.

Sgt. "As a kid, I wanted to be like a G.I. ", Besides the prestigious Medal of Honor, Payne's career also includes winning the Best Ranger Competition with his teammate in 2012 — a competition Trump said on Friday was "amongst the most grueling physical contests in the country. The team attempted to enter from the roof using small arms and grenades, but were unsuccessful. A call came over the radio that the building was beginning to collapse and the mandatory evacuation order was given. Josh Wheeler gave his life in order to liberate the oppressed. The prisoners were fed very little and forced to watch videotaped ISIS beheadings on nearby TVs. Maj. Payne hustled his team toward the compound. “It was a complete ‘brownout,’ and we were in a pretty intense firefight right off the bat,” he said.

“We had a great plan. The wounded Soldier was Master Sgt. The two cells held 37 prisoners of the Islamic State.

Sgt. Sgt. In 2002, Payne joined the U.S. Army and later became an Army Ranger with the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) in 2003. Maj. Payne, a South Carolina native, said his family has a tradition of service. Payne then moved off the roof and through a fortified door of a burning building with prisoners trapped inside. Sergeant First Class Payne’s gallantry under fire and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the United States Special Operations Command, and the United States Army. Thank you.". Quiz: How much do you know about the U.S. Congress?

Well that probably wasn't a bad wound then, was that? Though Payne and the other Americans were there to support the Kurdish rescue effort, ISIS resistance at the prison drew the American special forces members into the growing battle. You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. As the hostages were being released, Payne received a call on his radio that the team in the second building needed help. Mayra Joli, AKA #NoddingWoman, enrages left by agreeing with Trump during NBC town hall Maj. Thomas “Patrick” Payne, a Ranger assigned to the U.S. Army’s Special Operations Command, will receive the U.S. military’s highest honor for valor in combat in a White House ceremony set to be held on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Maj. Thomas "Pat" Payne has been awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration, for his work on a rescue mission that led to the freedom of 75 ISIS-held hostages. Finally, after Payne entered and exited the building a third time to make sure everyone was out, he gave the “last man” call so the task force could prepare for extraction. Payne has deployed multiple times to combat zones and received a Purple Heart in 2010 from a wound he sustained in Afghanistan from a grenade. A previous version of this story said Sgt. Maj. Thomas P. Payne receiving the Medal of Honor. Maj. Payne said in an interview that he sees himself as just the latest in a long line of American fighters who did their duty. 1st Class Thomas “Patrick” Payne served as an assistant team leader deployed to Iraq as part of a Special Operations Joint Task Force in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. “If we didn’t ‘action’ this raid, the hostages would have been executed,” Sgt. The American and Kurdish forces were surprised to find so many more prisoners than initial intelligence had indicated. Josh Wheeler, a fellow task force member and dedicated leader. But when Payne and others returned fire, the hostages would stop running out of fear and confusion.

Maj. Thomas "Patrick" Payne and his family are given a short tour before the Medal of Honor Award ceremony at the White House in Washington D.C., Sept. 11, 2020.

Wheeler after they safely landed. They climbed onto the roof and immediately began to take fire from the west and directly below them. (Photo courtesy of Sgt. Relying on his training, Payne maneuvered his team to the first building. Payne’s team secured the area and prepared to free the trapped men.

Sgt. Once the burning building had collapsed, Payne ensured that everyone made it out safely. CNN's Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report. ", "My fellow Americans, thank you. Sergeant Payne led a combined assault team charged with clearing one of two buildings known to house the hostages. “He knew what had to be done. For his actions that day, Payne will become the first living Delta Force member to receive the Medal of Honor, multiple sources confirmed to Military.com. The Washington Times “Hostage rescue is considered a ‘no fail’ mission. Payne was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while serving as an assistant team leader deployed to Iraq as part of a Special Operations Joint Task Force in support of Operation Inherent Resolve on Oct. 22, 2015. Maj. Thomas "Patrick" Payne at the White House, Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2020. Maj. Payne said. We stand in awe of your heroic, daring and gallant deeds," the President said. The Rangers specialize in joint special operations raids and joint forcible entry operations.

He knowingly risked his own life by bravely entering the building under intense enemy fire, enduring smoke, heat, and flames to identify the armored door imprisoning the hostages. Payne and a Kurdish commando braved the smoke and fire to cut the doors open with bolt-cutters and rescued 30 more hostages before the building collapsed from the fire and damage taken from enemy gunfire, “…Once you’re able to control your fear, that’s the bridge to personal courage and personal courage is contagious on the battlefield.”. A fierce dust storm made it almost impossible for them to see. House Republican introduces resolution to remove Pelosi as speaker. For us, it was our duty to bring those men home,” Sgt. The Atlantic reported that Trump didn't want to attend a ceremony at the Belleau Wood Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France in 2018 because he was concerned that the rain would dishevel his hair. Hailing from South Carolina, Payne grew up in a family of servicemen, including a WWII veteran grandfather, police officer father and two brothers who serve in the Army and Air Force, according to the White House. "Today he joins the immortal company of our most revered Americans heroes," Trump said, praising Payne's heroism over 17 deployments and his commitment to rescuing hostages during the Oct. 22, 2015, mission. "I was always fascinated with the military.". Zachery Perkins), The President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, applauds U.S. Army Sgt. The initial Kurdish efforts to breach the compound’s outer wall with explosives failed, and ISIS guards began to return fire. As they began to set up their ladders to move on their objective, the call came over the radio that a man was down. When the team received intelligence that freshly dug graves had been spotted and the hostages would likely be executed soon, they were given the green light to move out. The Kurdish Regional Government received intelligence that the 70 prisoners, among them possible Kurdish fighters, were soon to be executed by ISIS forces. They knew there was no room for error. Sgt. Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype, Donald Trump Denies He Called Late John McCain and Fallen U.S. Sergeant Payne then facilitated the evacuation of the hostages, even though ordered to evacuate the collapsing building himself, which was now structurally unsound due to the fire. Now it was up to us to go out and execute it.”. “The number of hostages caught me off guard.

Sgt. Since then, he has served within USASOC as a special operations team member, assistant team sergeant, team sergeant and instructor. “I consider myself a guardian of this medal,” he said.

They continued to receive constant fire from the enemy, who had set up a position to their west, and from the enemy in the building directly below them. Payne was awarded the Medal of Honor on Sept. 11, 2020, for his actions while serving as an assistant team leader deployed to Iraq as part of a Special Operations Joint Task Force in support of Operation Inherent Resolve on Oct. 22, 2015.