Sergeant Major James Gregory Ryan Sartor, age 40, was killed in action in the service of his country on July 13, 2019 in Faryab Province, Afghanistan.
Sartor was assigned to 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
He joined the Army in June 2001 and assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as an infantryman. Sartor was assigned to 10th SFG (A) in 2005.
Sartor deployed numerous times. He first deployed to Iraq as an infantryman in 2002. As a Green Beret, he was deployed in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 with 2nd Battalion, 10th Group. He deployed with the 10th to Afghanistan in 2017 and 2019.
Sartor’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Award, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award with two oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Unit Citation with one oak leaf cluster and National Defense Service Medal, among others.
He has been posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal and Bronze Star medal.
Sartor also earned the Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge and Special Operations Diver Badge.