Two special-operations Marines were awarded posthumous Navy Cross medals for heroism during combat operations in Afghanistan in 2012. The families of Staff Sgt. Sky R. Mote and Capt. Matthew P. Manoukian accepted the medals during a Jan. 18 ceremony at 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion Headquarters in Camp Pendleton, Calif. According to official accounts, the two Marines and their comrades came under attack from a rogue Afghan police officer, within the confines of their tactical operations center. Despite taking a grave wound, Mote exposed himself to the attacker’s gunfire and drew it away from his fellow Marines – confronting the shooter, who stood about 16 feet in front of him. Until the moment he died. Mote continued pressing the attacker and protecting his unit. Manoukian, who had been in the operations center when the attack began, ordered his Marines to move to safety while he confronted the shooter. He, too, continued to resist the attacker and draw fire away from comrades until he fell dead.