Staff Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts enlisted in the Army when he was 17 years old, and was just 22 years old when he engaged in combat at the Battle of Wanat in Afghanistan, where his heroic actions earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. On July 13th of 2008, with a tourniquet tied tightly around a badly injured right leg, Staff Sergeant Pitts hurled grenade after grenade to defend his platoon in one of the bloodiest battles of the war with Afghanistan. He is highly decorated for his courage; his additional awards and decorations include a Bronze Star Medal, a Purple Heart, a Meritorious Service Medal, a National Defense Service Medal, and a NATO Medal, among others.The Medal of Honor series profiles the courage and accomplishments of recipients of the highest and most prestigious personal military decoration, awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary acts of valor. Dramatic accounts of battle are accompanied by photographs, maps, and explanations of the events' importance in the context of the larger war.