MSG Leroy Petry, US Army, retired, was born in Santa Fe, NM in 1979. Upon joining the Army after high school, he became a US Army Ranger. He was deployed several times to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. On May 26, 2008, during his seventh deployment, Petry was a member of a team on a mission to capture a Taliban target in Pakita Province of Afghanistan. Despite being wounded in both legs by gunfire, Petry continued to fight and give orders.
When a grenade landed between him and two other soldiers, Petry grabbed it and attempted to throw it away from them. He saved the soldiers’ lives but the grenade exploded, severing his right hand. As a result of this action, he was the second living recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for the war in Afghanistan in 2011 when he received the award from U.S. President Barack Obama. Opting to reenlist despite his injury, Petry remained on active duty in the U.S. Army until his retirement on July 29, 2014.
He has also been awarded two Bronze Star Medals, a Purple Heart, three Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Valorous Unit Award, three Army Good Conduct Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Combat Star, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Combat Star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 3, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Army Service Ribbon. In 2017, MSG Petry was inducted into the Ranger Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, GA.
MSG Petry and his wife have four children. His father lives in Pecos, N.M., and his mother lives in Bernalillo, N.M. MSG Petry has four brothers and when he is not spending time with his family, he enjoys golf, pheasant hunting, and fishing.
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