Afghanistan veteran awarded Medal of Honor after diving onto suicide bomber

'Everybody would react the same way'

Retired Army Captain Florent Groberg dove onto a suicide bomber August 8, 2012. Now, three years and over 30 surgeries later, Groberg is set to receive the United States military's highest honor from President Barack Obama on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Groberg was born in France but moved to Maryland when he was 11-years-old and became a United States citizen in 2001. He graduated college and joined the Army in 2008, where he attended officer candidate school. 

Groberg was among the first sent for combat in Afghanistan, where he provided security for a group led by Fort Carson Brig Gen James Mingus.

The day of the suicide bomber attack, Groberg had already been deployed to Afghanistan and was co-leading a personal security detachment with Sgt. 1st Class Brian, which was responsible that day for escorting then-Col. Mingus to a meeting with an Afghan provincial governor. 

Both Groberg and Brink admit the team was uneasy about the mission that day. 

In a phone interview, Brink said, "It was just in the air. It's hard to explain. It was a family, that's the best way to describe the closeness of the team ... We're so well connected that what one person is feeling, everyone is feeling."

Two motorcyclists approached the unit and attempted to cross a narrow bridge, but seemed to change their minds and left their vehicles behind as they retreated on foot.

Shortly after the men left, Groberg saw an Afghan man he knew was a suicide bomber. The man had his thumb on what is known as a "dead man's trigger," which is a trigger that detonates the bombs should the man release his grip.

Groberg claims his training set him in motion. He shoved the man as far from the security detail as possible and tackled him to the ground with assistance from Sgt. Andrew Mahoney, who later was awarded a Silver Star.

"You just react," Groberg said, "You don't have time to analyze the situation. It's a threat - got to get him away from the boss. Everybody would react the same way. Mahoney reacted the exact same way. He went right with me."

As the men struggled on the ground, the vest detonated and caused a second suicide bomber to prematurely detonate his vest.

Unfortunately, the explosion killed Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin J. Griffin, Maj. Thomas E. Kennedy, Air Force Maj. Walter D. Gray and Ragaei Abdelfattah, a U.S. Agency for International Development foreign service officer.

Brink admitted he was initially going to shoot the suicide bomber, but held off when Groberg tackled him. He also said the casualties would have been worse had he shot, since the bomber's vest was openly facing the security detail.

"The scenario that we faced, somebody was going to die that day," Brink said. "The way the events played out, it was probably the best possible outcome. Had I actually shot him, it would have been far worse."

Groberg was seriously injured when the bomb detonated. The explosion destroyed his legs but saved the lives of the rest of his team. it was Brink who retrieved Groberg and carried him to the medic.

Afterward, Brink said, "His leg - I looked down, and the back half of his calf, it's gone." Brink then dragged Groberg to a ditch, where the medic - who also suffered injury -immediately began to work on Groberg.

The doctors and nurses at Walter Reed in Bethesda were credited with Groberg's three-year-long recovery, with Groberg saying, "My team did everything we were supposed to do and I could not be more proud of them. We met our enemy and our enemy tried to harm us. They did, but we still won the battle ... We're still here."

The explosion tore apart Groberg's legs and he endured over 30 surgeries to reach the point of recovery he is at currently. Though he was a runner, his injuries left him unable to return to the recreational activity, but it matters little to him as he escaped with his life.

In an interview at the Pentagon, where Groberg now works as a civilian, he said: "You go through your little demons. Why am I here when four guys are not? Why are four incredible, family men not here and I am? Did I do everything I was supposed to do? Did you guys do everything they were supposed to do? What do I do now?"

Though he will be receiving the Medal of Honor, Groberg insists the men who died "were [the] true heroes. That's who the medal belongs to."

President Obama will award the Medal of Honor to Groberg during a ceremony at the White House on Thursday where he will become only the tenth living Afghanistan soldier to receive the honor.

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