Nikki Sorensen

College Student -> Navy Corpsman -> Private Contractor -> Doctor

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress takes pleasure in presenting the NAVY CROSS to

HOSPITAL CORSPMAN SECOND CLASS
NICOLE ANNABELLE SORENSEN
UNITED STATES NAVY

For service as set forth in the following:

Extraordinary heroism while serving as Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command. Petty Officer Sorensen and her team of elite Marine Raiders were conducting special operations within Ramadi alongside Iraqi Special Security Forces when they were surrounded in a small area approximately 100 meters wide and received effective fire from all angles. Immediately following the ambush, three Marine Raiders and 8 Iraqi Forces members were killed or incapacitated while the remaining quickly took cover. Knowing that they would not survive by the time air support arrived if they stayed where they were, she selflessly ordered everyone to remain behind cover as she fearlessly exposed herself to enemy fire for several seconds and running across the street to adjacent buildings in order to find their weakest point. After locating an acceptable pathway out, she led an aggressive push out of the kill zone, returning effective fire, in order to return to their vehicles with their fallen comrades carried on their shoulders in a fireman’s carry, continuing to fight effectively with their comrades on their shoulders. On the way back to their vehicles, one Marine Raider and one Iraqi soldier were downed and after getting everyone else to safety, Petty Officer Sorensen courageously ran back to retrieve them despite intense fire and a pursuing enemy force close behind them. With the Iraqi over her shoulders in a fireman carry and dragging the Marine Raider by his vest, Petty Officer Sorensen took both men back to safety while providing suppressive fire with her rifle in her other hand. Her bold and decisive actions under fire saved the lives of her team and fellow Iraqi Security Forces. Her unwavering selfless courage, intrepid fighting spirit and steadfast devotion to her U.S. and Iraqi comrades in the face of chaos and uncertainty reflected great credit upon herself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.