Medal of Honor Recipient: Send Me Back to War

Will Swenson makes rare request of Army to return to active duty
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 15, 2013 2:50 PM CDT

Former Army Capt. Will Swenson received the nation's highest military honor today for rescuing fellow soldiers under heavy fire in Afghanistan a few years ago, reports CNN. And in a rare move, the 34-year-old has formally asked the Army to return him to active duty, reports AP. Generally speaking, Medal of Honor recipients are out of action, but it looks like Swenson will be back in uniform fairly soon. Swenson left the military in 2011, two years after the actions during a firefight in Afghanistan's Ganjgal valley that earned him his medal.

"In moments like this, Americans like Will remind us of what our country can be at its best," said President Obama at today's ceremony, as quoted by Fox News. (More William Swenson stories.)

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