Marine receives highest non-combat award for heroism in a training incident

US Marine Corps Staff. Sergeant. Brett D. Meil ​​has received the Department of the Navy's highest non-combat award for his heroic conduct during a training incident in June 2023.

Meil, originally from Texas, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on Sept. 24, 2024, at a School of Infantry – West ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.

The training incident in question involved a potentially fatal mishap with a live fragmentation grenade. Meil instructed a student to use an M67 grenade, but the student accidentally released the safety lever while still holding the grenade.

Meil remained calm and repeatedly instructed his student to throw the grenade into the intended target area. When the student did not respond, Meil ​​pulled out the grenade and forced himself and the trainee out of the pit.

However, the grenade ricocheted off a wall and ended up landing outside the pit – a few meters from where Meil ​​and the student sought cover. Meil immediately moved to protect the student with his own body.

When the grenade exploded, Meil ​​absorbed hundreds of shrapnel, but the student he was protecting suffered only minor injuries.

Despite his injury, Meil's immediate response to the blast was to check on the young Marine he had been covering, and only attended to himself after he was relieved by medical personnel and other combat instructors.

“My first thought was how do I get this private out of the pit and leave the grenade in,” Meil ​​said, according to a Marine Corps news release.

“My second thought was that the shell was outside the pit, pulling it as close and as close to me as possible.”

SOI-West commanding officer Col. Patrick B. Bryne said Meil's actions were “exactly” what was required of combat instructors.

The Navy and Marine Corps Medal signifies that the recipient has distinguished themselves through heroism in a non-combat environment and is comparable to the Soldier's Medal or the Airman's Medal.

U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brett D. Meil ​​speaks about the importance of composure and situational awareness after receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, Sept. 24, 2024, at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. (Adeola Adetimehin/US Marine Corps)