Marine Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote

Died August 10, 2012 Serving During Operation Enduring Freedom

27, of El Dorado, Calif.; assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Calif.; died Aug. 10 in Sangin district, Afghanistan., after being shot by an Afghan policeman. Also killed were Marine Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian, 29, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., and Marine Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke, 31, of Herndon, Va.

MARSOC Marines killed in insider attack to receive Navy Cross

By Hope Hodge Seck

Two Marines from the Corps' elite special operations unit will be awarded the Navy Cross this week for heroism during an insider attack in Afghanistan in 2012.

Staff Sgt. Sky Mote and Capt. Matthew Manoukian will posthumously receive the military's highest honor Saturday at the headquarters of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command's West Coast battalion at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

According to MARSOC releases, both Marines were deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion Aug. 10, 2012, when they began to receive heavy fire from an Afghan uniformed police officer who was attacking them from within their tactical operations center.

Badly wounded, Mote, an explosive ordnance disposal technician, exposed himself to more gunfire in an attempt to draw attention away from his fellow Marines and distract the shooter.

"In his final act of bravery, he boldly remained in the open and engaged the shooter, now less than five meters in front of him," MARSOC officials said in a release. "He courageously pressed the assault on the enemy until he received further wounds and fell mortally wounded."

Meanwhile, Manoukian, who was the commander of the special operations team that came under attack, saw gunfire from an AK-47 tearing through walls of the operations room and quickly acted to direct his Marines to safety, exposing himself to gunfire as he did so, officials said. He put himself between the shooter and other Marines, drawing enemy fire and allowing them to get to safety.

"Outgunned, Manoukian continued to engage the enemy until he fell mortally wounded to the shooter's overwhelming fire," the release reads.

Manoukian, of Los Altos Hills, Calif., was 29 at the time of the attack. Mote, of El Dorado, Calif., was 27. Another 1st MSOB Marine, Gunnery Sgt. Ryan Jeschke, 31, of Herndon, Va., was also killed in the attack.

According to MARSOC officials, Mote and Manoukian will be the third and fourth members of MARSOC to receive the prestigious Navy Cross.