USSOCOM recently honored seven special operators by inducting them into the USSOCOM Hall of Honor located at MacDill, AFB on April 18^th.

They all received medals from U.S. Army Gen. Raymond A. Thomas III, USSOCOM commander, and Sgt. Maj. Patrick McCauley, USSOCOM command sergeant major. Their respective names may not ring a bell for anyone who isn’t familiar with Special Operations but their bios reveal a veritable “Who’s Who” for the individual services.

The award recognizes individuals who have served with distinction within the special operations forces community. This year’s inductees were U.S. Army Lt. Col. Herbert Avedon, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Bruce Brandewie, U.S. Army Capt. Wade Y. Ishimoto, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Harry McCommons, U.S. Army Master Sgt. Michael A. Pelaez, U.S. Army Col. Christopher E. St. John, and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Ulatoski

“There is no better example of valor and professional excellence for today’s SOF than the seven honorees with us today,” said Thomas. “Their actions, spirit and example serve as an inspiration for the seventy thousand of us who serve in United States Special Operations Command and especially the eight thousand who are forward deployed in over eighty countries right now.”

The seven newest inductees will join an elite group of 55 other special operations warriors who have been inducted into the Commando Hall of Honor since its inception in 2010. Past inductees come from all four branches of service and have served in every conflict since World War II.

“It’s very humbling and I am very honored to receive this award,” said Ulatoski. “Receiving this award has made me think back to all of those people I have served with, those are the people who are really responsible for me receiving this award.”

The seven operators or commandos as the headquarters said in their article, have had service spread out from World War II, Korea, Vietnam right up until the present day operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and a hundred places in-between.

To read the entire article from the USSOCOM, click here:

Photo courtesy USSOCOM