Posted on August 29, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Pacific Division Commander Brig. Gen. John Lloyd presented former USACE contractor Mohannad Ali with the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom during a ceremony at the USACE San Diego Field Office on Aug 26.
The medal is the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart and recognizes Department of Defense civilian employees who have been injured or killed in the line of duty.
“Mohanned, you accepted great risk to rise above and serve something greater than yourself. This medal honors your bravery and the courage it takes to walk into danger,” said Lloyd during the ceremony. “It is my privilege to gather here with you and your family today and to present the Defense of Freedom medal on behalf of the nation, with deep gratitude for your service and sacrifice.”
Ali received the Defense of Freedom medal for injuries sustained in 2010 while supporting the USACE Gulf Region District (GRD) in Iraq as a contractor with Aegis when an explosively formed penetrator struck his convoy. Despite sustaining a severe thigh wound, Ali’s quick and heroic response saved lives and ensured the continued success of the mission.
Ali served 20 years as a linguist and security specialist contractor, embedded with U.S. missions across Iraq, Syria, and beyond.
Thank you so much for this amazing award, it honestly means a lot to me,” Ali said. “To my beautiful family, I want to thank you guys for all the support during the last 20 years.”
Kate Needham-Cano, the senior community representative and Military & Veterans liaison for U.S. Rep, Sara Jacobs (CA-51), was also in attendance to recognize Ali’s service and sacrifice.
The GRD, formed as part of USACE operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom, provided full-spectrum construction management to the United States Forces-Iraq command, the U.S. Embassy-Baghdad Mission, and the Government of Iraq until its inactivation at the end of 2011.
Throughout its existence, GRD’s soldiers and civilians delivered more than 5,100 infrastructure projects valued at nearly $9 billion. Five million people benefitted directly from the GRD’s water and sewer projects, and millions more received treatment in medical facilities USACE helped build. In addition, the GRD managed nearly 1,200 school projects that served hundreds of thousands of children and the construction of roads, railroads, and vital national security and community structures.
On June 16, USACE celebrated 250 years of delivering for the nation and its warfighters. USACE is proud to build on that legacy as America’s Engineers and to continue engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges.
