Second Lieutenant Nicholas Dockery was a soldier in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 2, 2012 in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan during the war in Afghanistan. At the time he was serving with 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Light), 4th Infantry Division. Dockery was 27 years old.
The medal was presented on June 18, 2026, 13 years after the action — at the White House, Washington, DC, by President Donald J. Trump. He later rose to the rank of Major.
Dockery was born on January 6, 1985 in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. His Medal of Honor is credited to Indiana. Dockery is one of the living Medal of Honor recipients. Records also list him as Dockery, Kareem Nicholas.
Dockery is one of 22 Medal of Honor recipients from the war in Afghanistan and one of 75 credited to Indiana.
Official Medal of Honor citation
Second Lieutenant Nicholas Dockery distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty on October 2, 2012, while serving as a Platoon Leader, 2d Battalion, 12 th Infantry Regiment, 4 th Brigade, 4 th Infantry Division in Kapisa Province, Afghanistan. On this day, Second Lieutenant Nicholas Dockery’s platoon and associated Afghan forces were ambushed by an estimated 150 Taliban fighters. Ordered to eliminate the threat, Lieutenant Dockery planned and led an assault on the enemy forces. Lieutenant Dockery traversed 100 yards of open terrain under enemy fire to reach U.S. forces in need of assistance. Hearing a U.S. soldier had been wounded, Lieutenant Dockery fought his way to soldiers who were taking cover in a building that was occupied by enemy fighters. Realizing the immediate danger, he organized and led the forces in clearing six rooms of the multi-level compound, killing one enemy fighter and detaining two others. When an enemy grenade landed nearby, he shoved a team member behind cover preventing him from being killed or wounded by the resulting blast. Attempting to regain momentum after the blast, Lieutenant Dockery led a four-man team to clear the compound’s courtyard before the enemy used a rocket-propelled grenade, resulting in an explosion that incapacitated two soldiers. Although dazed and wounded himself, Lieutenant Dockery went to the aid of the wounded soldiers who were fully exposed to enemy fire. After helping one solider to his feet, he engaged and killed two enemy fighters who were attempting to approach the other injured soldier. Lieutenant Dockery provided first aid and used his own body to shield the soldier from further injury, saving his life. Air support assets could not differentiate between friendly and enemy positions, so Lieutenant Dockery marked his position on the building’s roof, exposing himself to enemy fire on multiple occasions while providing covering fire to friendly forces evacuating the wounded. He was the last individual to leave the battlefield. Second Lieutenant Dockery’s conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Citation text: U.S. Government, public domain.
Wounds and injuries
What the citation records about his wounds:
Although dazed and wounded himself, Lieutenant Dockery went to the aid of the wounded soldiers who were fully exposed to enemy fire.
Lieutenant Dockery provided first aid and used his own body to shield the soldier from further injury, saving his life.
Timeline
- January 6, 1985Born in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
- October 2, 2012Act of valor — Kapisa Province, AfghanistanAge 27. 2d Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Light), 4th Infantry Division
- June 18, 2026Medal of Honor presentedAt the White House, Washington, DC, by President Donald J. Trump.
Biography
Nicholas Dockery (born 3 October 1981) is an American soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in the War in Afghanistan. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Dockery enlisted in the Army National Guard before attending the United States Military Academy. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, where he and his unit were ambushed in Kapisa Province. Dockery rallied American and Afghan troops to repel the attack, while simultaneously protecting wounded allies. Dockery remained with the US Army until 2026, completing Special Forces training and rising to the rank of major. He served as a White House fellow in 2024, and in 2026 received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Kapisa.
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