Wharton MBA student Nicholas Dockery, a retired United States Army Major, received the Medal of Honor last month.
The Medal of Honor is the U.S. government’s highest military decoration, awarded to Armed Forces service members “who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty,” according to an Army announcement. Dockery, who is currently enrolled in the Wharton Executive MBA Program, was honored on June 18 for his actions in Afghanistan after an October 2012 Taliban attack.
While serving as a second lieutenant and platoon leader in the war on terror, Dockery, his unit, and Afghan partner forces were ambushed by Taliban fighters.
“Over the course of four hours, he fought and maintained contact with the enemy in extremely restricted urban terrain, personally risking his life on numerous occasions to protect and evacuate three wounded members of his platoon,” the Army release stated.
Dockery’s efforts included crossing open ground while facing enemy fire, shielding a soldier from a grenade, and remaining in an exposed position to guide supporting aircraft until every wounded soldier had been evacuated from the battlefield.
1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump presented Dockery with the medal at a White House ceremony following congressional approval in March.
“Major Dockery, you were the last man to depart the battlefield that day, and you left it a legend and a hero,” Trump said at the ceremony. “We proudly award you the Congressional Medal of Honor.”
Dockery previously received the Silver Star — the third-highest military combat decoration — for his bravery during an October 2018 combat operation in Afghanistan. His October 2012 actions were initially recognized with the Silver Star before being upgraded to the Medal of Honor, “making him the only commissioned Army officer to receive the Silver Star twice” since the September 11 attacks.
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He has also received a range of other honors, including the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award and the Soldier’s Medal.
Beyond his military service, Dockery continues to serve the public in leadership and policy roles. Before enrolling in the Wharton MBA program with a concentration in quantitative finance, he was a White House Fellow from 2024 to 2025.
In 2025, Dockery founded the Nicholas Dockery Foundation, an organization that partners with nonprofits to expand access to evidence-based alternative treatments for individuals experiencing trauma, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
At the ceremony, Trump also awarded the Medal of Honor to two other Armed Forces members — one posthumously — for their service in the Vietnam War.
