First Living Delta Force Medal of Honor – Actual Combat Raid Footage

#USArmy #DeltaForce #MedalOfHonor In the pre-dawn hours of October 22, 2015, deep in northern Iraq, a joint team of U.S. Delta Force operators and Kurdish Counter-Terrorism Group commandos launched a desperate raid on an ISIS prison near Hawija. Inside, more than 70 hostages awaited execution — graves already dug, orange jumpsuits laid out. The captives would not live to see another sunrise. What followed was one of the most daring hostage rescues in modern U.S. military history. Under relentless fire, Sergeant First Class Thomas Patrick Payne led his team through smoke, flames, and collapsing walls to cut open the steel doors and free the prisoners — returning again and again through ISIS machine gun fire until every last man was out. For his heroism that day, Payne became the first living member of Delta Force ever to receive the Medal of Honor, joining the legendary ranks of Gary Gordon, Randy Shughart, and Joshua Wheeler, who gave their lives so others could live. This video tells their story — the mission, the sacrifice, and the brotherhood that defines America’s quiet professionals. If their courage deserves to be remembered, help us carry their story forward. Watch, like, comment, and share — keep their names alive. 🔗 SOURCES & PRIMARY DOCUMENTS Medal of Honor Citation – Sergeant Major Thomas P. Payne https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/thomas-p-payne Department of War Statement – October 22, 2015 Hawija Raid https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/625236/statement-from-pentagon-press-secretary-peter-cook-on-hostage-rescue-mission-in/ White House Ceremony – Medal of Honor Presentation, September 11, 2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-1QhZI3Uyk 🏅 AWARDS & VALOR RECOGNITION Medal of Honor: Sergeant Major Thomas P. Payne – U.S. Army Delta Force Silver Star (Posthumous): Master Sergeant Joshua L. Wheeler – U.S. Army Delta Force 📺 CHAPTERS 00:00 – 01:32 American Badass! 01:33 – 03:27 Prison of Death 03:28 – 05:02 Devoted Soldier 05:03 – 09:46 Hostage Rescue 09:47 – 12:52 The Medal of Honor @AmericanMilitaryNetwork