The second-youngest living Medal of Honor recipient, who served as an active-duty Marine during the war in Afghanistan, graduated from the service’s Basic Reconnaissance Course on Friday at Camp Pendleton, according to a Facebook post from Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Carlos A. Ruiz.
Dakota Meyer, 37, was presented the Medal of Honor in 2011 by President Barack Obama for heroism in Afghanistan. Meyer reenlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in April 2025 because he believed he “had more to give,” he stated previously.
On Friday, Meyer earned the 0321 Military Occupational Specialty, the MOS designation for Reconnaissance Marine.
The Basic Reconnaissance Course is a demanding 12-week program “designed to train Marines in the tactics, techniques, and procedures of amphibious reconnaissance operations,” according to the service.
Meyer’s BRC graduation comes over 15 years after actions in Afghanistan that would earn him the nation’s highest award for combat valor.
On Sept. 8, 2009, Meyer, a 21-year-old infantryman at the time, repeatedly entered an enemy ambush zone during the Battle of Ganjgal to rescue wounded comrades and recover the bodies of fallen service members, according to a Pentagon release. His actions were credited with saving 13 Americans and 23 Afghan personnel.
Meyer left the service in 2010 and worked briefly in construction before becoming a volunteer firefighter and a veterans advocate.
He later became a vocal critic of the Biden administration for its disordered withdrawal from Afghanistan. During his reenlistment ceremony hosted by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, he told reporters he would stay out of politics while in uniform.
“The great part about being in the reserves is I’m still a citizen when I’m not on orders,” he said. “When I’m on orders I’ll comply obviously with whatever the standard is.”
During the ceremony, Hegseth, who is reportedly close with Meyer, said his reenlistment will inspire young people across the country.
“[We’re doing] this as big as we can because I want the American people, I want your fellow Marines [and] I want other service members to look at [your] example and [know] you’re never too old, you’re never too experienced [and] you’ve never done too much to contribute, and I salute you,” Hegseth said.
Sgt. Maj. Ruiz noted in the Friday post that this graduating class is one of the final before a transition in the reconnaissance training progression aligning with the 2030 Force Design objectives.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
